The Last Spade
by otakubynature
Summary: Cardverse. Alfred is in his last year of school when he suddenly receives the mark of the King of Spades. He leaves his everyday life behind and begins training to be a royal under the supervision of a certain green-eyed gentleman employed at the castle. USUK/UKUS. Rated M for language, sexual content, and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: The Mark

Alfred rolled over on his bed, throwing his arm over his eyes. Light was beginning to filter down into his room, and he knew exactly what came next. Only a short moment later, his attic room was filled with the shrill tone of an alarm clock. Alfred burrowed deeper into the covers and screwed his eyes shut as if he could wish the sound away. He heard a groan from the other side of the room, then disoriented footsteps across the room until the clock's bell was silenced.

"Al..." a familiar voice called to him from across the room. Alfred didn't respond.

"Al wake up, we're going to be late."

Alfred rolled over yet again attempting to block out the voice, only to have the covers swiftly pulled from his grasp. He opened his eyes to see a boy with curly blond hair and glasses standing next to his bed, smiling. Alfred smiled at the blurry figure he recognized as his twin and let out a short laugh.

"I'm up. I'm up, Matt."

Matthew smiled and shook his head as he threw the covers back at Alfred.

"See you downstairs." Matthew said as he left the room and closed the door behind him. Alfred grabbed his own pair of glasses from the bedside table and put them on. As the world cleared up before his eyes, he squinted, and let out a large yawn before running his hand through his own blond hair. He waited for a few moments in silence, then stood up, and began getting ready for the day.

Alfred Jones and his twin brother Matthew had lived at the edge of Spades for their entire lives. Their small farmhouse was on an attractive plot of land, but since their parent's death three years prior, they hadn't really used it. Most of it, anyway. Alfred took care of as much land as he could, but the several acres were still to much to handle alone. Furthermore, Matthew wasn't too keen on farm work and preferred studying to spending time outdoors. And with both of them still in their teens, they ended up selling most of their animals to pay for living expenses as well as their education. They kept one horse, some chickens, and Alfred tended to a small crop of vegetables, but that was about the extent of their once-happy farm family.

Alfred put on his simple school clothes and grabbed his school bag. Before heading downstairs, he looked around the room. The attic, which the brothers shared, was beginning to look a little worse for wear. The walls had several cracks in it, and Alfred had noticed how water trickled in on rainy nights. The only other bedroom was their parent's which remained untouched since the day they died. Alfred let out a sigh.

"I'll have to find a way to fix the roof..." he mumbled under his breath. With that, Alfred left the room and headed downstairs.

When Alfred came downstairs, he found Matthew sitting at the dining table eating a small bowl of porridge and flipping through a textbook. Alfred followed suit and grabbed an apple before sitting down across from his brother.

"Take it easy, Matt. We're about to have a whole day of that."

Matthew smiled without looking up from his book. "It never hurts to review, Al."

Alfred made a sour face at the thought of studying outside of class, and returned his attention to the piece of fruit in his hand. He thought for a short while and then looked back to Matthew.

"Matt, you know you could-"

"Al." Matthew cut off his brother, knowing what he was about to suggest. "It's not going to happen."

Alfred frowned but then said nothing. Matthew looked up from his book.

"Do you have work today?"

Alfred looked back up, surprised, and nodded.

"Yeah, at the pub. Just until midnight."

"Cool. Maybe I'll leave some dinner for you."

Alfred sneered jokingly at his brother's comment.

"Thanks, your highness."

Matthew laughed and and looked back to his book.

"You're welcome."

The two brothers made their way into town. Their school was rather far from their house, but it wasn't an unpleasant commute. The weather in Spades was always cool and cloudy, so the walk to the trolley stop in town was always a pleasant one. But lately Alfred didn't like going into town. Nowadays the air always seemed desperate and tense, and even the busiest parts of town seemed hushed and anxious. As the two brothers waited at the trolley stop, Matthew spoke up.

"It's because they haven't found the next King yet."

Alfred turned to look at his brother.

"...What?"

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother's dumbfounded response.

"You really should open a newspaper every now and then. The King and Queen of Spades died over half a year ago."

Alfred frowned.

"I know that much, Matt!"

"Well, even though it's been this long, the new King and Queen have yet to appear. The new Jack is already in the castle, but without the King or Queen..."

"...then the Jack can't do anything." Alfred finished Matthew's statement. Matthew nodded.

"There's a rumor that Clubs is going to attack while we have no defenses."

Alfred pondered his brother's statement for a while. Between Hearts, Spades, Clubs and Diamonds, Spades and Clubs were by far the most aggressive towards each other. For generations the two neighboring countries were fighting over land and resources, and it looked like another war would soon break out once more.

The trolley arrived and the two brothers began their ride to school. The ride was long and quiet, and Alfred and Matthew sat in silence as the the city buildings passed them by. The trolley stopped a short distance from the high school, and Alfred and Matthew headed inside. Their school was in a large, old, wooden building. It wasn't anything special, but it was the same school they had attended before their parents died. For them, it was a place of consistency despite its remarkably sullen atmosphere.

The two of them were in their last year of schooling, and only had a few more months before graduation. Alfred sighed as they passed through the school's main gate, escaping from the constant cool breeze that passed through Spades. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do after schooling. Matthew was very smart and at the top of their class, while Alfred only excelled in mathematics and physical education. Alfred knew that getting into a university with his marks would be impossible, so for the time being he simply planned on working full time after high school. Alfred kept urging Matthew to apply to university in Spades, but Matthew simply shook his head and said that he would be going straight to work after schooling. Alfred knew that it was most likely their money situation that was holding Matthew back. The two of them worked part-time during the evening, but they were still far from financially stable. He frowned, as the pair started up the stairs to their classroom.

"Hey, Matt..."

"Hm?" Matthew responded without looking up from the textbook in his hand. He already looking at the materials for the day's classes. Alfred tried working out a new argument for Matthew applying to university. There was only a week left to apply and he knew, despite his attempts at hiding it, that Matthew wanted to go.

"Matt, I just really think you should-"

Dizziness. A strong and unexplainable spell of dizziness fell over Alfred. Confused, he grasped at the old wooden banister, to try and steady himself.

"Al?" Matthew's concerned voice rang inside of Alfred's head, but his brother's familiar face began to fade from view. His vision began to cloud and darken and soon he couldn't see anything at all.

"Al, what's wrong?" Matthew's voice came again, but in a distorted wave of sound that was hard to understand. Alfred tried to speak up to answer his brother, but was instead met with a harsh, fiery pain that ignited inside his heart. The pain seemed to knock the wind from his lungs, and his breathing became labored and heavy. The pain slowly seemed to spread from his heart across his entire chest, and it was soon followed by a crushing sensation. Alfred desperately tried to gasp for air, but he soon found his senses slipping from him. He could no longer feel his grasp on the banister, and all sound had been replaced with a high pitched ringing. The sensation of falling soon followed, and when that sensation abruptly stopped, silence followed as well. Alfred felt sleep closing around him, and as his consciousness faded, the last thing that Alfred was aware of was the sound ticking; the familiar, unmistakable ticking of a clock.

Alfred awoke to a deep pain at the back of his head. He winced as he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. The world around him was blurry, but he recognized the familiar shapes and colors of his bedroom. Confused, Alfred slowly sat up and became aware of just how much his head hurt. He looked out his window. He groaned and reached for his glasses that had been placed near his bed and put them on. Alfred looked out his bedroom window. The sun was setting. Suddenly he heard footsteps running up the stairs. Moments later, a figure he recognized as Matthew burst into the room. His face was tired, but relief spread across his face when he looked at his brother.

"Al!" Matthew rushed to Alfred's bed and carefully sat down, facing his brother. "You're up! Are...are you ok? How are you feeling?" Alfred flinched at the concern pouring out from his brother. He let out a groan as his head throbbed again.

"I feel dead." Alfred whined as he leaned backwards. "What happened?"

"You fell down a flight of stairs, you dork," Matthew said with a smile, recognizing that his brother was acting normally.

"Hey! Don't be rude to the injured."

Matthew let out a short laugh at his brother's comment, then his smile fell again.

"What happened, Al? We we're just walking up to class and you passed out. I didn't know what to do, you wouldn't wake up..." Matthew paused for a moment before continuing. "I took you to the school nurse, but apparently it's just exhaustion...did you stay up late last night or something?" Alfred clearly remembered the pain he had felt and knew that there was no way that it could've just been exhaustion.

"Yeah," Alfred lied, "I was up late...reading."

Matthew narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

"You? Reading?"

Alfred immediately noticed the flaw in his story, but before he could think of another adequate excuse, Matthew shrugged and stood up.

"Oh well. You just have a really bad bump on your head, Al. Probably from when you fell down...you want ice?"

"Yeah, thanks dude."

Matthew let out a sheepish smile and headed for the door, when suddenly the pair heard the sound of a slamming door from outside. A brief second of confusion passed between them before they heard a loud, authoritative knock at the door. The twins crossed the room to look down at their front yard. In their front pasture was a long procession of royal guards on horseback, and one large vehicle encrusted with the royal seal. Alfred sucked in air and tried to wrap his head around the situation. Why were royal guards at their house? Suddenly he heard Matthew's voice speak up.

"God, Al what did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything, what did you do?"

The pair stared at each other in confusion before there was another knock at the door. The twins went downstairs, and headed towards the door. Matthew's calm and studious front seemed to fade as he hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. Alfred pushed past his brother and confidently unlocked the door. Neither he nor Matthew had done anything wrong. There was no need for him to be hesitant.

Upon opening the door, two men came into view. The man standing closest to the door was wearing a long blue garment decorated with the Spades crest. His long dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail that rested over his right shoulder. The man was shorter than Alfred, but his eyes held an air of maturity that led Alfred to wonder if he was much older than his face led him to believe. Behind him stood a taller man with sandy blond hair and green eyes. He was dressed well in a collared shirt, vest and tie, but was not wearing the royal crest like the shorter man or the guards on horseback behind them. The blond man was also staring down at a strange glowing ornament shaped like a compass. Alfred guessed had some sort of magical property.

"Is this the Jones household?" The man with dark hair spoke up first.

"Yes, it is..." Alfred responded and noticed that the other man had looked up at him. "And you two are...?"

"Oh, yes of course. I am Wang Yao. I am the current Jack of Spades." The man gestured behind him. "This is Arthur Kirkland, he serves the House of Spades as an adviser." The man introduced as "Arthur" nodded but immediately looked away again, making no efforts to be social unlike the Jack. Matthew stepped up behind Alfred and spoke timidly.

"Uh...what can we do for you?"

Yao looked from Alfred to Matthew, making the connection that the two were twins. Then he spoke again.

"We have reason to believe that someone in this house has the mark of Spades."

Alfred's eyes narrowed.

"The mark of Spades?" As he repeated the Jack's statement, Matthew's eyes widened.

"You think one of us is the King or Queen of Spades?" Matthew's voice wavered at the end of his sentence, and he took a step back.

"We don't _think_. We _know_." The man named Arthur spoke up as he stepped in front of Yao with the glowing instrument in his hand. "The palace wizards received the Spade's signal this morning." As Arthur stepped inside the Jones' farmhouse, the compass-like object in his hand released more light. He furrowed his brow, then held the object closer to Alfred. The instrument glowed and released a loud ticking sound in response. He turned towards Yao and gestured to Alfred.

"This one." At Arthur's words, Yao stepped inside the house as well.

"But we can't be truly sure without seeing the mark." Yao said as he walked closer to Alfred. Alfred looked at Matthew who had backed away to the other side of the room with a shocked look on his face. Alfred wanted to call out to his brother, reassuring him that this was some kind of mistake, but was greatly distracted by the man in front of him. Arthur began to circle Alfred, slowly, looking at him up and down. He stopped and faced Alfred and looked into his eyes.

"Strip."

Heat rushed to Alfred's face, and he scowled at the man in front of him.

"Excuse me?"

Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's response and let out an irritated sigh. Then, without little warning, he pushed Alfred against the wall behind them. Without giving Alfred time to react, Arthur's hands were at the buttons of Alfred's school shirt.

"Whoa, what the hell are you doing?!" Alfred protested fervently but the green-eyed man continued with the shirt's buttons. Yao, who was standing back watching the whole scene unfold, crossed his arms.

"I hardly think that is necessary, Arthur," the Jack said in an exhausted tone.

Suddenly, Arthur's hands froze and his eyes widened. He released Alfred's shirt and took a step back. Yao stepped in closer and stood next to Arthur. Surprise flickered through his eyes as well. Alfred looked at the two men in confusion for a moment before looking down. His shirt had only been undone half-way, but he could clearly see what the two were looking at. On his chest there was a large, elaborate mark. The black markings started just below the collarbone, spreading all the way across the chest, and in the center of Alfred's chest was the unmistakable royal family's emblem; a large dark Spade.

"It's the King..." Arthur whispered. He looked at Alfred, with shock on his face, then backed away, lowering himself to the ground on one knee, bowing deeply. The man named Yao followed suit, and lowered himself as well.

"Your Excellency," Yao said, without raising his head, "at long last we have finally found you. Allow me to formally re-introduce myself. I am your Jack, Wang Yao."

Alfred's heart pounded erratically in his chest as he tried to grasp his current situation. _The King of Spades_. He was now the ruler of the country of Spades. Alfred ran his hand through his hair and shook his head.

"This can't be real."

Yao raised his head and stepped towards Alfred. "I assure you, this is very real, Your Excellency."

"You're being serious? This has to be some sort of mistake. I can't rule Spades, I haven't even finished school yet!" Alfred protested, looking for any way to be released from this new, crushing responsibility. He quickly backed away from the Jack. Yao paused, rested his chin between his thumb and pointer finger, and thought for a moment.

"You _are_ younger than we had hoped. But we do not choose the rulers of Spades. They are chosen for us." Yao then walked towards the door, and paused. "I'm sure it will work out. Come, Your Excellency. The palace awaits you." Alfred looked back at his brother. Matthew was still at the back of the room and no longer looked shocked, but instead looked downcast.

"Wait." Alfred said as he walked to stand next to his brother. "This...this is Matthew. He's my brother and only family. Is there, uh, any way he could come with me?" Yao thought for a moment, but then frowned.

"My apologies, your excellency. But only the royal family can live in the castle."

Alfred frowned. Matthew placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder.

"Al, it's okay. Don't worry about me."

Alfred looked at the ground for a moment before a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I understand," Alfred said, "but as King, I want you to pull some strings for me."

Yao raised his eyebrows in surprise, then smiled, intrigued.

"I'm listening."

"I want my brother to attend the university of his choosing. No charge to him."

Matthew's eyes widened at Alfred's words.

"Al what are you doing?" Matthew whispered at his brother.

Alfred said nothing, and maintained eye contact with the Jack. Yao then smiled then lowered his head.

"Consider it done, Your Excellency."

Alfred smiled at his brother, and saw what he recognized as a genuine smile from Matthew.

"Come now, Your Excellency. We really must be going." Yao said as he and Arthur passed under the household's doorway and waited outside.

The two twins stood in silence for a moment. The very lifestyle Alfred had woken up to was gone, never to return.

"I...I can't believe this..." Alfred said, breaking the silence.

Matthew nodded in acknowledgment before speaking himself. Matthew looked sad, but after thinking for a moment, selected some choice words.

"Thank you, Al."

Alfred smiled and softly punched his brothers shoulder.

"I'm your brother, it's what I do."

The twins laughed for a moment then Alfred made his way towards the door. He paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Come visit me sometime?"

Matthew nodded with his familiar sheepish smile.

"I will."

Alfred displayed his bravest smile for his brother.

"See you."

"See you."

And with that informal goodbye, Alfred left his house and his brother behind. The Jack, the adviser and the new King climbed inside the vehicle and were off. As Alfred looked out the window, he watched his childhood home fade from view and realized that he would never again be able to return his everyday life. He brought his attention back inside the vehicle. Yao was looking over some papers in a small leather file and was muttering to himself. Sitting next to the Jack was Arthur. As Alfred looked at the "adviser", he realized that the man was staring at him. Arthur was staring at Alfred with an unwavering, unreadable expression. Alfred stared back at Arthur and scowled. He didn't like him. There was something about the man with green eyes that Alfred didn't trust. Their gaze remained locked for a few moments before Alfred turned his attention back out the window. Arthur eventually did the same, and as they rode towards the Spades Palace, neither knew of the trials that awaited the two of them.

* * *

Notes:

This concludes, chapter one!

Wow, there was a lot more Alfred-Matthew bro-stuff than I originally planned ^^ Next chapter we will be seeing more of Arthur!

This is my first fanfiction that isn't a oneshot, I hope it was ok ^^


	2. Chapter 2: Bond

The ride to the palace was longer than Alfred had anticipated. By the time the Spades palace came into view, the sun had set completely, and stars were beginning to illuminate the night's sky. Alfred leaned out the window of the vehicle and gawked at the building as they approached. Alfred had never seen the Spades Palace before. The large estate was located in the heart of the country of Spades. The Jones' farmhouse was on the northern border of the country and until now, he had had no reason to venture this far into the heart of Spades. During the ride, Alfred had imagined what the palace may look like, but it was far grander than anything that his imagination could have come up with. The tall, looming palace was encased in a shining, silver material that seemed to glow and refract light even in the pale moonlight. The towers and walls of the palace were all ornately decorated with the country's emblem in iron and cobalt blue. In the center of the palace was a tall looming tower, and at the very top was the royal crest, a clear, sharp spade.

Upon arrival at the palace main steps, palace guards opened the door of the vehicle and escorted the three men inside. As the tall, heavy stone doors of the palace were opened before Alfred, he found himself at a loss for words. The palace seemed even larger on the inside. The ceilings reached far overhead, and most of what he saw was formed from glistening marble.

"This is the main hall," Yao's voice pulled Alfred out of his awestruck wonder. "The main ballroom is past the end of this hall, and just past that is the throne room."

"I can't believe this..." Al whispered as he looked around. "Uh...Mr. Jack?"

"You may just call me Yao, Your Excellency."

"Oh. Okay then, Yao."

"Yes, King."

"I still have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I don't have any idea on how to rule Spades."

"Oh. No need to worry, Your Excellency. While the announcement of your arrival will be in the morning, you will not receive most of responsibilities until after your training."

Alfred tilted his head to the side. "Training? What training?"

Yao raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You weren't aware? Occasionally..." Yao paused for a moment and looked at Alfred up and down, "when it is deemed necessary, the new royals go through some extensive lessons to assist them before they begin their official rule."

"Oh." Alfred pursed his lips and tried his best not to be offended by Yao's statement.

"Your lessons will begin tomorrow. Arthur will be your instructor." Arthur, who had been lingering by the palace doors suddenly stepped forward at the sound of his name with a bitter expression on his face.

"Excuse me, what?"

Yao turned and looked at Arthur with a puzzled look. "I thought we had agreed that you would be giving lessons to our new royal?"

"Yes, we had indeed agreed on that, but that was before I-" Arthur paused and looked at Alfred before swiftly looking away. "I just think I'm more suited for giving lessons to the next Queen, not the King."

Yao smiled, unaffected by the irritation dripping from Arthur's voice. "That shouldn't be an issue, Arthur. I deem you quite capable of issuing the proper lessons regardless of if it is a King or Queen."

Arthur frowned and looked at Alfred out of the corner of his eye. Then, without another word, he turned down a hall and disappeared. Yao turned back to face Alfred. "You'll have to forgive Arthur. His fuse can be short with people he doesn't know well." Alfred nodded, but his gaze remained where Arthur had disappeared down the hall. Yao continued. "There's no need to worry. Arthur knows absolutely everything there is to know about Spades. That's why he's employed here."

"Oh...okay." Alfred said as he turned back to Yao.

"You must be tired after everything that's happened today. Come, I will show you to your room." Yao began walking towards one of the hallways, and Alfred soon followed after the Jack. The walk to his room seemed to be a feat in and of itself. The snaking corridors and long halls seemed to go every which way, and Alfred wondered if he would ever be able to navigate the labyrinth unaccompanied. Eventually they reached the top floor of the innermost tower. Yao stopped outside of a pair of large double doors and turned to Alfred.

"This is your room, Your Excellency. Feel free to use it as you like. All of the palace servants and guards have been made aware that you are here, and you may ask them for anything that you may need. My room, as well as the study and the library, are in the East Tower. If you need anything, you may call on me as well."

"Thank you, Yao." Alfred didn't know much about Yao yet, but he could tell that he was the type of person who approached most things as they came. The Jack was a position that would be a constant helper and adviser to the King, and Alfred realized that he was very fortunate to have such an approachable Jack. Alfred extended his hand to the dark haired man. "I look forward to working with you."

The Jack smiled at the King's statement and took his hand in a firm handshake.

"And I, you." Yao stepped backwards and bowed briefly. "Have a good rest, King. I will see you tomorrow." With that, Yao turned down the hall and disappeared back into the maze of corridors. Alfred waited until he could no longer hear Yao's footsteps before turning his attention to the large doors. Alfred twisted the door's silver handle and stepped inside the room.

The King's bed chamber was large, not unlike the rest of the castle. An impressive chandelier hang from the ceiling, illuminating the room in soft light. There were large oak drawers and closets adorned with mirrors that Alfred assumed may be filled with clothing. Opposite from where Alfred was standing were wide, pointed windows that looked out on the palace's inner courtyards and gardens as well as the main gates. Pressed up against the wall to Alfred's right was a bed. The bed was enormous and covered in warm and expensive-looking fabrics. Velvet curtains were draped liberally across the room including around and to the side of the windows as well as over the bed's canopy. Everywhere he looked, Alfred was overwhelmed at the luxurious items that he saw. The room was easily four times larger than the attic that he and Matthew had shared.

Matthew. Alfred thought back to his brother who would now be sleeping in the farmhouse attic all alone. Was it really fair for him to be here? Alfred tried to shake the thought from his mind. In a few short weeks Matthew would be able to move into university housing. The thought seemed to ease his worries, but did little to calm the loneliness that was beginning to fall over Alfred. He had had a handful of close friends at school that he would never be seeing again, and he wouldn't be seeing his brother everyday anymore. Alfred wandered over to the bed and sat down. It was incredibly soft. Alfred pondered for a moment about his situation. Yao seemed nice enough to talk to, but he was lacking a certain friendliness. Then there was Arthur. Alfred thought about the blond man who would apparently be giving him some sort of lessons. While he was relieved that he would not be thrown face-first into his King responsibilities without a drop of training, he was less than excited about being taught by Arthur. Alfred frowned and laid across the bed. Before he could think about his situation any further, the comfort of the fabrics beneath him soon lulled him into a state of drowsiness. All of his worries seemed to slip away as he began to drift into sleep.

"Maybe this won't be so bad..." Alfred muttered to himself as he felt sleep closing in around him. His eyes slid closed, and not long after the new King of Spades was fast asleep.

Alfred awoke to the sound of a soft knock on his door. He jolted awake, and looked around, shocked as his surroundings. But then, after a brief moment, the memories of the previous day came rushing back. Light was coming in from the palace windows. It was morning. He relaxed slightly before hearing the knock on the door again.

"Uh, yes?" Alfred called towards the door. Shortly after, the knob twisted and an unknown person entered the room. It was a woman with brown hair that rested just above her shoulders. She was wearing the palace's maid uniform and was holding a small stack of clothes. She looked older than Alfred was, but she had a warm smile that stood out to him. She bowed briefly before speaking.

"Good morning, King. I trust you slept well."

"Uh...yeah I did." Alfred said, unsure of how to respond to such a question. He then looked down, embarrassed, to find that he had fallen asleep in the previous day's clothes. The maid looked down at the clothes she was holding.

"I've brought your clothes for the day. Everything has been prepared in the appropriate size, so there is no need to worry." The maid walked across the room and placed the stack of clothing on a nearby table. "Lord Arthur humbly requests your presence after breakfast." The maid paused for a moment, as some color traveled to her face. "Do you require any assistance getting ready, King?"

At first, Alfred wasn't quite sure what the maid was asking, but then his eyes traveled to the pile of clothes on the table.

"No...uh yeah no, I'm good." Alfred stuttered out his answer, lacking the composure that he was hoping for. The maid nodded.

"Very well, King. I will wait outside. Once you are done, I will show you to the dining room." The maid bowed once more before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. Alfred let out a sigh before rolling out of bed.

"This is going to take some getting used to..."

Alfred retrieved the clothes from the table and quickly began getting dressed. The clothes were the finest quality that Alfred had ever seen. He wasn't too keen on the stuffy-looking blue tie that had been included with the white shirt and dark pants, but after a little bit of struggling, he got the tie to look somewhat presentable.

The maid showed Alfred to the dining room, and Alfred made sure to pay careful attention to the path they took this time. If nothing else, he wanted to make sure he could make it to meals without being escorted. The dining room was impressive, which was to be expected. The room, which was on the first floor of the palace, had several windows that looked out on the inner courtyard. There was a long oak table that could seat several people, most likely for the purpose of formal dinners. At the end of a table, there was a chair that far larger and more elaborate than the others, and sitting beside that chair was Yao, sipping a cup of coffee. There was a partially empty plate before him. Alfred figured he must have already eaten. Yao looked up as Alfred entered the room and stood up, setting his cup aside.

"Good morning, King." Yao bowed slightly, and gestured to the large chair. "Please."

Alfred walked over to the large chair and sat down. "Good morning, Yao."

Yao sat down again shortly after Alfred took his seat. The Jack was dressed in simpler clothes than what he had worn the day before; he wore no hat today, and instead was wearing a simple garment with a blue spade embroidered over his heart. Before Alfred could say another word to the Jack, a small stream of servants began to pour into the room. They held assorted plates and dishes and placed one after the other before Alfred. When they were finally finished, Alfred wondered if he had ever seen such an array of different foods in his life. There was a wide variety of different cakes, meats, sausages, fruits and pastries, many of which Alfred had never seen before in his life. And that's when it hit him. He was _starving_. Between everything that had happened within the previous day, his brain had temporarily overpowered his hunger. But now that the confusion and disbelief had settled down, hunger hit him like a train. As he tired to think about where to begin, Yao spoke up.

"Eat as much as you want, King. No need to hold back." And Alfred didn't hold back. He started with the dishes closest to him and worked his way outward. And every single thing he ate was delicious. By the time he was finished, there was very little left on any plate, and Alfred leaned back in the chair, completely satisfied.

"That was great," Alfred said as he ran his hand over his stomach with a huge smile on his face. Yao suppressed a short laugh in response.

"I'm glad you liked it. Now, in regards to today's schedule, Your Excellency..."

"Yeah?"

"Your lessons with Arthur begin today. He's already waiting in the study." Alfred's smile dropped quickly. Lessons. That was intimidating enough without having that man named Arthur teaching him.

"Oh yeah."

"The study is in the East tower. Would you like me to escort you there?"

Alfred thought for a moment before shaking his head and standing up. "Nah, I'll find it myself. I need to get used to this place eventually." Yao smiled in response.

"I see. Well, I'll be in the North hall working today. Don't hesitate to call on me should you need anything."

"Thanks," Alfred said as he stood from the chair. Yao stood as well and bowed again.

"Have a good day, King."

Alfred smiled as he slipped through the door.

"You too, Jack."

Alfred realized shortly after he left the dining room that he should have taken Yao up on his offer. He got helplessly lost in the castle despite his best attempts to keep his barrings, and when he finally did make it to the East tower, he opened every single door that he passed, hoping that eventually he would find the right room. Eventually, upon reaching the East tower's fourth floor, he found the study. He burst into the room out of breath and startled the room's only inhabitant. The small green room had a desk in the back of the room, in front of a wall of windows. The walls were covered with bookshelves, and in the center of the room were two couches positioned around a small table. In the back of the room, propped against a window with a book in his hand, was Arthur. He was dressed well again, in a vest suit with silver detail. His startled expression showed that Alfred had clearly taken him by surprise, but the expression was rapidly replaced with an irritated look. Alfred frowned. This was going to be difficult.

Arthur closed his book and let out a sigh.

"You're late."

Alfred let out a short laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, uh, I got lost."

"I can tell." Arthur walked over to the desk and set his book down. He looked back up at Alfred. "Well, are you going to come in?" Alfred looked around, and saw he was still standing in the doorway.

"Oh yeah." Alfred walked in and closed the door behind him. He took a seat at one of the couches and drummed his hand on his knees anxiously. A few moments passed while Arthur rustled through some papers stacked on the desk. Alfred broke the silence.

"So...what type of lessons are these going to be?" Arthur didn't answer, but instead walked over to the couch opposite Alfred and sat down. He was holding a small stack of papers and slowly began flipping through it.

"Do you know what this is Alfred?" Alfred shook his head in response.

"No, what is it?"

"Your school transcripts."

Alfred sucked in air through his teeth, immediately knowing what Arthur was looking at.

"Oh."

Arthur placed the stack of papers on the table, then rubbed his temples before pinching the bridge of his nose. "These are really embarrassing marks for a King." He paused and looked up at Alfred. Alfred said nothing, so Arthur continued. "You'll need to fix this. I have a lot of things to teach you about your duties as King of Spades, but I can't even teach you that if you're failing your own country's history." Arthur stood up, and pulled a number of books from the bookshelves on the wall before returning to his seat. He tossed one of the thicker books towards Alfred. Alfred caught it, then looked at Arthur. "Chapter one. We start now."

The teaching that ensued was humiliating by Alfred's standards. He spent the next several hours reading aloud from history books, and taking various tests issued by Arthur. He was drilled on everything from past wars, to manners, grammar and current events. Alfred was pelted with hundreds of questions, very few of which he could answer correctly. And with each incorrect answer, Arthur was growing more and more visibly irritated.

Alfred looked out the window. The sky was dark and clouded, but he could already tell it was early afternoon. Unphased by the amount of time that had passed, Arthur continued with his drills.

"And when was the last war with Clubs?"

"Uh...seventy years ago?"

"No, forty eight years ago. God, Alfred we just went over this! How could you have possibly forgotten already?" Arthur closed the book and placed it on the desk as he shook his head in disbelief. Alfred scowled at the response to Arthur's reaction.

"Hey, you're not really helping. You act like you're teaching me, but you're just showing off what you already know."

Arthur threw an accusing look at Alfred.

"Me? I'm doing everything possible to help you! These are the simplest of facts that I'm teaching you, and you can't even get them right. I'm amazed, really. I'm amazed at how incompetent you are."

Alfred eyes widened in anger. "Incompetent?"

"Yes! How could someone who knows as little as you be chosen to be King of Spades? It doesn't make any sense!"

Alfred stood up and walked closer to Arthur, anger rising inside of him as well.

"What about you? You act like you're so great, but this is all you can do isn't it? You're act so stuck up, but you've never worked a day in your life, have you?" Arthur took a step back, and his expression changed for a brief second. What Alfred was saying was effecting him. Alfred took a step closer and looked into Arthur's eyes, his voice dripping with anger. "Why are you even here? You're not a Spade. You don't belong here."

Alfred regretted his words the moment he said them. He watched something flicker inside of Arthur's eyes; something he hadn't seen before. Pain. As if what he had said had truly hurt him. Arthur said nothing, but quickly and silently walked from the room, slamming the door behind him. Alfred let out a sigh, immediately knowing that he had gone too far. Alfred walked to the back of the room, and looked out. The windows were facing away from the castle, and looked out on a small grove just beyond the palace gates. He watched the tree's dark, twisting branches dance in the wind. Teardrop Oak trees. They were the same types of trees that lay just beyond his farmland. Alfred remembered how he and Matthew had liked racing to the edge of their property when they were young. Alfred won every time, but always made sure to wait for Matthew under one of the dark trees, just at the edge of the forests surrounding their land.

Alfred was pulled from his daydream as he saw a figure run towards the grove. As he saw a flicker of blond hair, he immediately recognized the figure as Arthur.

"Going into the woods to sulk...that's surprisingly childish," Alfred mumbled to himself as he saw Arthur's figure fade from view. Realizing that the lessons were definitely over for the day, Alfred began to walk towards the door. However, something stopped him in his tracks; a low, rumble of thunder. Alfred froze in his place and looked out the window again. A few scattered raindrops had begun to collect on the glass window. Alfred's mind raced for a moment. Arthur was in the grove.

"Shit."

Alfred burst through the door and ran down the marble steps and through the corridors trying to find the closest exit to the grove. Teardrop Oak trees were rare, and hard to cultivate. They were named for the sweet blue fruit it bore in the fall, but what many people were unaware of was that the trees have a strange reaction to rain. When it rains, the tree's root system expands rapidly, making the surrounding ground very unstable. Alfred remembered how once he had raced Matthew in the rain, and accidentally fell several feet down into a crevice created by one of the trees. The hole was so deep, that Matthew had to run and get their father to help pull Alfred from the hole. And now Arthur was in a grove full of those trees. In the rain.

Alfred eventually made it to a side exit in the palace and bolted outside, not minding the confused looks from the palace guards. The rain had begun to fall more rapidly, and the cold water stung his face and eyes. However, the rain was not deterring him as he bounded towards the tree line. Alfred leaped over a low fence surrounding the grove and rushed in. As he had feared, the rain was causing the roots to shift, and several crevices and holes were already becoming visible on the ground before him. Alfred maneuvered through the grove quickly, stepping on the roots as he went to prevent falling through the unstable ground.

"Arthur?" Alfred called into the woods, but the rush of rain was beginning to drown out sound, and rising mist was beginning to limit visibility.

"Arthur!" Alfred called out again, louder, and waited for a response. He thought he heard a muffled voice, and called out once more.

"Arthur!"

"Alfred?" This time, he heard Arthur's voice clearly as he rushed towards where the voice was coming from a short distance away. He paused as his eyes finally found who he was looking for. As he had feared, under an especially large tree was a deep, earthy chasm surrounded with dark roots. And at the bottom of the pit was Arthur, looking up at Alfred. He looked bad. He had a number of rips and mud on his clothing. His muddied hands and shoes suggested that he had already tried to climb out a few times. Arthur wore a composed expression, but there was a definite fear in his eyes that even to rain and mist couldn't fully disguise. He let out a surprised gasp when he saw Alfred appear at the top of the crevice.

"Alfred?"

"Arthur! Are you okay? Can you move?"

"I'm fine, but I can't get out. This damn mud is making it impossible, and I-"

"Arthur, it's fine. I'm here to help you." Arthur's eyes widened at Alfred's words, then his expression returned to it's familiar composed state.

"Alright."

Alfred looked around, trying to weigh his options for helping Arthur. After a few moments, he decided on a plan of action. He tested the sturdiness of a nearby root by kicking it, and when it did not give way, he grabbed onto it firmly as he carefully lowered himself into the crevice. With one hand firmly wrapped around the root and the rest of his body hanging in the crevice, he kicked his feet around until he found a small foothold on a lower root. Once he felt secure, he extended his other hand towards Arthur, who was now just a short distance away. Arthur reached out and firmly grasped Alfred's hand.

"Now what? You can't possibly lift me up with just one-" Before Arthur could finish his sentence, Alfred lifted Arthur off the ground and towards him.

"Grab on." Alfred's instructions came quickly with no further detail, so with little time to spare, Arthur threw his arms around Alfred, holding on as tight as possible and pressing their bodies together. Alfred quickly returned his other hand to the branch hanging above them. The rain plus the additional weight of the man holding onto him was making holding on a lot harder. Alfred could feel the rough bark cutting into the underside of his fingers, but there was no turning back now. Alfred inhaled, and then with all of the strength he could muster, pulled himself and Arthur out of the crevice. As they ascended, Arthur quickly grabbed onto the nearby roots as they came within reach, and soon the pair scrambled to safety at the base of the tree.

Out of breath, Alfred dragged himself to the base of the tree, and rested his back against the cold, damp bark. Arthur shortly followed and sat down beside him. The cool rain was still falling, and for a while, the pair simply sat shoulder to shoulder in the rain. Arthur looked at the man beside him. Alfred was still breathing hard with his head tilted back, resting against the tree. His eyes were shut, but soon Alfred turned his head to his side and a pair of icy blue eyes were now staring directly at Arthur. Arthur could only hold his gaze for a few seconds before looking down. The memories of what he had said in the study along with the embarrassment of running through a grove and falling down a hole was making it hard to look at much of anything at the moment. Suddenly, Arthur's eyes fell on Alfred's hands. The two hands that had pulled them to safety had thin ribbons of blood running down them, and the crimson fluid was beginning to slowly drip on the ground below them. Arthur winced. It looked painful. He looked back at Alfred, whose gaze hadn't wavered.

"...Thank you." Arthur paused for a moment, trying to think of something more eloquent to add to the simple statement, but couldn't think of anything. Alfred nodded slowly with a smile forming on his lips.

"I was pretty heroic, wasn't I?"

Arthur snorted at the statement.

"I wouldn't say heroic, you're just stupid strong."

"It's not stupid! It saved you, didn't it?"

Arthur paused for a moment and let out a short laugh.

"Yes, it did."

Alfred smiled at Arthur's words and gently nudged his shoulder.

"Next time, go to your room to sulk like a normal person." Arthur turned to look at Alfred, and Alfred nearly jumped at what he saw. Arthur smiled. It wasn't small or laced with sarcasm as he had seen previously. It was a genuine, warm smile that Alfred could only describe as dazzling. Alfred felt heat rush to his face despite the cool rain running down his cheeks. He turned away from Arthur and let out a small laugh to try and dissipate the warm feeling. The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few more moments before Alfred spoke up again.

"Sorry...you know. For what I said."

Arthur nodded in response, and shortly after the rain began to let up. After a few more short minutes, the rain stopped completely, and the roots of the dark trees gradually shifted back to where they had been before.

The pair quietly made their way back to the castle. The rain clouds were moving out, and soon the sky was illuminated in sunset. As they approached the castle, the palace guards rushed to open to gates and palace doors for them. They entered the main hall and almost immediately saw Yao walking down the hall with a stack of papers. When Yao saw the pair approaching, his jaw dropped. He placed the papers on the floor and rushed over two them.

"Your Excellency! Arthur!" Yao paused and looked at the two up and down. "What happened to you two?"

Alfred let out a short laugh.

"Oh you know...stuff." Alfred looked at Arthur for help in an explanation, and eventually the other blond spoke up.

"It's nothing to worry about, Yao. We'll be heading to the infirmary now." Arthur grabbed Alfred's arm and pulled him behind him.

"Wait, Arthur...I'm hungry, can we get something to eat first?" Alfred protested lightly and Arthur stopped.

"Fine..." Arthur looked around the hall until his eyes landed on a servant. He called out to the maid. "You there. Please bring the King's food to the infirmary." The maid bowed and hurried off towards the kitchen. Arthur tugged at Alfred's arm once more. "Come on."

As the two left the main hall, Yao watched them in bewilderment. Then the Jack smiled.

"Looks like those two are finally getting along."

Arthur led Alfred down a long corridor, then finally they arrived at a door at the end of the hall. The two entered the room. Alfred immediately became aware of the smell of disinfectant, and looked around. It was a room similar to his school's infirmary, although far nicer. There were a few beds in the room, as well as tall cabinets filled with assorted jars and medicines. Arthur gestured to the nearest bed.

"Sit down over there." Arthur opened one of the cabinets and rummaged through the contents as Alfred sat down on the bed.

"I'm really hungry, couldn't we have gotten food first?"

Arthur closed the cabinet with an irritated sigh.

"Look at your hands, Alfred. How were you planning on eating your food?" Alfred looked at his hands, confused, then realized the shape they were in. There were open cuts, dirt and dried blood all over the undersides of his hands.

"Oh."

Arthur shook his head and brought a few vials, a roll of bandages and a damp cloth towards the bed. He pulled up a chair in front of Alfred and sat down.

"How could you not have noticed that, Alfred?"

Alfred shrugged. "It doesn't hurt that much." Arthur raised his eyebrow and gestured for Alfred to give him his hand. Alfred complied and placed one of his hands into Arthur's open palm. Arthur proceeded to rub the warm, damp cloth over Alfred's hand.

"I mean the cuts are one thing, but the dirt alone..." Arthur said. Alfred pouted in response.

"My hands aren't dirty."

"...they're filthy." Arthur mumbled as he continued to clean Alfred's hand. Alfred suddenly winced in pain.

"Ow? Okay, that hurts..." Arthur pulled the cloth away from his hand.

"Sorry..." Arthur set the cloth aside and opened one of the vials.

"What is that?" Alfred asked as Arthur removed the lid.

"It's a topical with magical properties. It's very effective on cuts." Arthur dipped his fingers in the strange solution, then gently massaged the medicine into Alfred's hand. The strange medicine stung at first, but then the cuts began to feel warm. It felt good. Alfred looked up at Arthur. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and as the warmth spread across Alfred's hands, he also felt it heating up his face. Arthur looked up, but when his eyes met Alfred's he let go of Alfred's hand and looked away. He grabbed the bandages, and began wrapping the treated hand.

"How did you know the trees behaved like that?"

"They grew all around my farm. I fell into hole like that on a rainy day once."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I've never had to pull someone out of one. That was a first." Arthur let out a small smile and finished wrapping the bandage. He took Alfred's other hand and began repeating the process with the warm cloth. Alfred spoke up again. "Have you never gone into that grove before?" Arthur paused for a moment before answering.

"Yes, but only once. It wasn't raining on that day."

Alfred wanted to inquire about Arthur's cryptic answer, but was currently distracted by Arthur's hand. It had stopped rubbing and was instead just resting on top of his own hand. Arthur was staring down, unmoving, as if he were remembering something. Alfred closed his hand around Arthur's lightly. Arthur was pulled from the state and looked up into Alfred's eyes. His expression was unreadable.

"What are you doing?"

Alfred shrugged in response. "I'm not sure. I just felt like you needed that."

Arthur's cheeks flushed with color as he pulled his hand away and looked down. He reached for the vial.

"You're weird."

Alfred let out a laugh as Arthur finished treating the other hand.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Shortly after, a maid appeared in the doorway holding a tray containing a platter of sandwiches and two bowls of soup. Alfred stood up at the smell of food and Arthur tugged his arm back down.

"Sit, Alfred. I'm not done yet," Arthur said as he tried to finish tying the last of the bandages on Alfred's hand. Arthur looked over his shoulder at the maid. "Thank you, just set the tray over there." The maid set the tray on a nearby table, bowed, and then left the room. Not a second after Arthur finished tying the bandage, Alfred crawled across the bed to the table, grabbed a sandwich from the platter and shoved it in his mouth. Arthur sighed and shook his head. While Alfred was eating, Arthur wandered over to the sink to try and wash some of the dirt from his hands. As he pushed up his sleeves, Alfred suddenly spoke up.

"Whoa, hold on dude." A serious edge crept into Alfred's voice and Arthur immediately took notice.

"What is it?"

Alfred walked over, sandwich in hand, and pointed to Arthur's forearm. On the underside of Arthur's forearm, was a long, shallow cut which was strangely black.

"You were cut by one of the lower roots. Those are poisonous." Arthur's eyes widened, mainly in disbelief at how casual Alfred's tone was.

"Poison?"

"Yeah."

"What's the antidote? How toxic is it?" Arthur's voice was becoming frantic. Alfred ate the last bite of his sandwich and took hold of Arthur's arm.

"Relax, you big baby. It's not deadly, but your arm is going to hurt like crazy tomorrow and turn weird colors if you don't get the poison out." Arthur tried not to be disgusted by both Alfred's nonchalance and the fact that he was talking with a mouth full of food. Alfred turned the water to its heated setting. "Hot water draws the poison out." Alfred placed Arthur's arm under the stream of steaming water. Arthur winced at the water's temperature, but then watched in amazement as a black, ink-like substance flowed out of the cut. Soon, it was back to it's normal color. Arthur blinked in surprise.

"Wow."

"See. You're fine." Alfred walked over and grabbed the roll of bandages. "Sit over there. I'll bind it for you." Arthur sat on the bed and allowed for Alfred to bind his wound. He also grabbed a cucumber sandwich from the platter. Before taking a bite, he spoke.

"I didn't know you knew about things like trees and their properties."

Alfred didn't look up, but responded anyway.

"You never asked." He stopped wrapping Arthur's arm for a moment. "I know a lot about Spades. Just not the kind of stuff you find in textbooks." Arthur nodded and took another bite of his sandwich. Alfred returned to his work on Arthur's arm. "You may not have known that about me, but I don't know anything about you." Arthur paused for a moment and thought. He was right. He had read all about Alfred in the information he had collected the previous day. He knew that Alfred's parents were dead. He knew Alfred's age and health records. He knew Alfred's grades and knew he had a twin brother. But he hadn't said anything about himself. Recognizing the disadvantage Alfred was in, Arthur spoke up.

"My name is Arthur Kirkland."

"Wow, thanks." Alfred responded sarcastically. Arthur continued speaking.

"I'm twenty two."

Alfred raised his eyebrows. "Really? Huh. I thought we were about the same age."

"You thought I was eighteen?"

"More or less."

Arthur smiled, briefly, then paused before speaking once more.

"My grandmother was the last Queen of Spades." Alfred's hands froze just as he finished Arthur's bandage and looked at Arthur. His expression was very serious.

"No way."

Arthur nodded and leaned back on his hands before speaking again.

"I used to live with my father. He was a merchant at sea. We traveled all over...I saw so many places." Arthur paused for a moment before continuing. "When he died I was only ten. I never knew my mother, so my care fell to my grandmother. It wasn't until I actually came here that I found out."

"That she was the Queen?" Alfred interjected. Arthur nodded and continued.

"She was amazing. She knew so much. It was watching her that made me want to work harder with my studies. I learned everything I could about this country. I had decided that I wanted to be the next King."

Alfred paused, realizing what Arthur was saying. Arthur let out a short laugh before continuing.

"'Those who are most worthy of ruling receive the mark of Spades.' My grandmother told me that. So I decided that I would try and become worthy."

Alfred swallowed slowly. He felt terrible.

"Arthur...I, I didn't kn-"

"It's fine, Alfred." Arthur smiled sadly. "When she and the King died, I had hoped that maybe I would receive the King's mark of Spades. I thought for sure that no one in Spades had worked as hard as I had to become worthy of the King's mark. So when I heard that the new King of Spades had been found, I—" Arthur looked at Alfred and paused before continuing. "I'm sorry. I said some terrible things to you out of my own jealously."

"It's okay, Arthur. You don't have to apologize." Alfred started to apologize again, but Arthur spoke instead.

"But I think it was the right choice." Arthur looked at Alfred. Alfred was wearing a slightly confused expression. "You being chosen for the King, I mean. I think it was the right choice." A moment or two passed before huge smile spread across Alfred's face.

"Are you saying you think I'll make a good King?" Arthur looked away and took another sandwich from the platter.

"I never said that." Alfred beamed at Arthur as color entered Arthur's face once more.

"You think I'll make a good King!" Alfred said in a mocking tone. Arthur shoved Alfred's shoulder.

"Oh, shut it. You need a lot of work. A _lot_ of work. Tomorrow's lessons are going to be brutal."

Alfred let out a laugh, and soon Arthur was laughing too.

After the two finished their food and cleaned up the infirmary, they retired for the night. They parted ways outside of the infirmary and as Alfred walked up the stairs to his room, he smiled. Although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he was actually looking forward to his lessons tomorrow. And unbeknownst to him, Arthur was thinking the same thing too.

* * *

Notes:

Whew, what a chapter!

A hearty thank you to magical trees for bringing our two heroes together~

Fun Fact: Did you know sharing a meal with someone deepens bonds faster than any other activity? Hm. Interesting.

Thank you so much for reading chapter two of The Last Spade! I hope you liked it ^^


	3. Chapter 3: Proximity

From that day on, Alfred and Arthur were almost inseparable. Their time together was no longer limited to just their lesson time, which ended in early afternoon. They ate all of their meals together, they often spent their afternoons together, they even spent most of their evenings talking until late into the night. Alfred and Arthur became fast friends before they even realized it themselves, and soon it felt strange for them not to be together.

Arthur noticed after only a few lessons that it was very difficult for Alfred to learn from textbooks, so he began teaching Alfred using different methods. He would take Alfred through the palace, teaching him the names of the portraits on the wall and showing him artifacts from past wars. Sometimes he would take Alfred on walks through the palace courtyards and simply talked about things his grandmother had taught him about Spades. And to his surprise, Alfred remembered those facts far more than anything they had studied in the textbooks.

Of course, studying wasn't all that the two did. Now that the pair had become so close, Alfred was more playful with Arthur. Sometimes in the middle of lessons, Alfred would suggest that they play a game like hide-and-seek in library or in one of the towers, and surprisingly, Arthur often agreed. Even more surprising, Arthur would occasionally be the one to suggest a game in the middle of lessons. Arthur's game of choice was chess, and while Alfred wasn't good at it, he liked watching Arthur's expression light up anytime that he agreed to play. Despite the pair often being distracted by one another, Alfred was learning and the lessons were going very well.

"Alfred."

The King of Spades heard his name being called, but burrowed deeper under the covers. He recognized the voice immediately, but resisted nonetheless.

"Alfred!" This time, the familiar voice was paired with a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Alfred didn't stir, hoping that eventually the visitor would leave. Silence fell for a second, but then, without warning, he felt someone jump onto his bed. Alfred scrambled to sit up, only to have someone sit on top of him, pressing him down. He slowly opened his eyes to see his visitor straddling his stomach.

"Arthur..."

"Yes, Alfred."

"Couldn't you wake me up more normally?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow at Alfred's question.

"I tried."

Alfred made a sour face and let out a groan. "Is this any way to treat the King of Spades?"

Arthur thought for a moment before answering.

"No. But it's the proper way to treat _you_."

Alfred blushed and tried to roll out from under Arthur. "C'mon, get off..."

Arthur's smile disappeared and leaned a little closer to Alfred, squinting slightly.

"What?" Alfred asked, confused. Arthur placed his hands on the sides of Alfred's face. Heat immediately rushed to Alfred's cheeks. Some silence passed between them, then Arthur spoke.

"You look weird without your glasses."

"Screw you, too!" Alfred said as he shoved Arthur off of him. Arthur laughed and situated himself on the side of the bed as Alfred slowly got up and walked towards his dresser. He slipped his glasses on as Arthur began to tell him the day's schedule, like always.

"Yao wants to speak with you. We'll head to the Jack's study before we have breakfast."

"Alright," Alfred replied as he removed his shirt and began getting dressed for the day. Arthur's eyes lingered on Alfred for a while as he got ready. As he had noticed previously, Alfred was exceptionally strong and very well built. Usually his figure was hidden in the blue, royal garments that he wore for most of the day, but now, it was very easy to see every sculpted muscle from his shoulder blades to his abdomen.

"At least pretend you're not staring." Alfred looked over his shoulder and smiled at Arthur, who was immediately pulled from his state. Arthur swallowed and looked away.

"I wasn't staring at you."

"Oh yeah? What were you staring at then?"

Arthur turned back towards Alfred, who had since begun buttoning up a collared shirt.

"Your mark is in a different place than the last King," Arthur said. Alfred tilted his head to the side, unsure if Arthur was answering his question or starting a new topic altogether, but nonetheless, he stopped buttoning and looked down at the mark embedded on his chest.

"Really? Where was the last King's mark?"

"It was in the center of his back." Arthur stood up and walked towards Alfred before continuing. "All of the marks have different patterns, and show up in different places, but they always have the kingdom's emblem in the center of it." Arthur paused and stared at the mark branded across Alfred's chest. "Yours is particularly intricate. One of the nicer looking ones if I had to say."

Alfred blushed at the strange form of praise and let out a sheepish grin as he buttoned up the rest of his shirt. He then attempted tying the blue tie that came with his royal garments. After only a few seconds of struggle, Arthur took the tie from Alfred's hands into his own.

"You never tie it properly." He said as he quickly and efficiently began tying the strip of fabric.

"Thanks," Alfred said as he looked down at Arthur. Arthur was only slightly shorter than him, but at this angle he could see deep green of his eyes flickering in concentration just below his own. Alfred cleared his throat and tried to look away from the man in front of him.

"So...uh. Where's Yao's mark?"

"It's on his left shoulder blade."

Alfred turned frantically back towards Arthur, shocked at how quickly he answered.

"How do you know that?"

Arthur looked up at Alfred with a questioning look.

"I was the one who verified his mark, just like we did with you." Alfred paused, then let out a nervous laugh in response.

"Oh...yeah."

"If you really want to see it, I'm sure he'll show it to you...It's a simple mark, just a black spade."

"No, it's ok."

Arthur shrugged and finished tying Alfred's tie. He clapped his hand on the finished tie and headed towards the door.

"Come on, Alfred. Yao is waiting." Alfred nodded and walked towards the door, then paused before speaking.

"Arthur...Where was the last Queen's mark?"

Arthur stopped in the doorway then smiled at Alfred.

"It was on her right hand."

The two made their way to the East tower and went into the Jack's study to find Yao, working with several books and papers sprawled out before him on a large oak desk. He looked up when the pair entered the room.

"Ah, Your Excellency. Arthur. Come in, come in," he said as he tried to organize the information before him. Alfred spoke up as they walked into the room.

"You wanted to speak with me Yao?"

The Jack nodded fervently.

"Yes. With both of you actually." The Jack waited until the two were standing in front of him before beginning. "Your Excellency. It's been almost a month since you've come here, and your studies are going exceptionally well." Alfred smiled at the compliment.

"It's really nothing special, Yao. I'm just learning what Arthur is teaching me."

Alfred saw a prideful smile tug at the corners of Arthur's mouth. Yao smiled as well and continued.

"Even so, Your Excellency. You've learned quite a lot at an impressive rate." He paused and folded his hands on the desk in front of him before continuing. "I think you're ready to officially take over your duties as King."

Alfred's eyes widened in surprise. He looked at Arthur, searching for a reaction, but Arthur was looking as calm as ever. He looked at Alfred with an honest expression.

"I agree. I believe he's ready."

Alfred's heart began to pound. Those words had come from the same man who, just a few short weeks before, had called him an 'incompetent King', and now he was looking at him as if he trusted him in any choice he could make. As if he wholeheartedly believed in him. Alfred's heart swelled with confidence as he looked back at Yao.

"Alright. I'd be honored to start my duties."

Yao smiled and nodded his head.

"I couldn't be happier, Your Excellency. This truly is a joyous day! Alright then..." Yao turned towards Arthur. "The Coronation as well as the King's ball will be held two weeks from this day. Begin training him in magic and ball customs starting today. He'll need them." Arthur lowered his head in a bow.

"Yes, Jack."

"That will be all for today. As usual, I will check on your progress in the afternoon." Yao stood and bowed at Alfred, then the two left the room. As the door closed them, Alfred spoke.

"Arthur...uh. Do you really think I can do this?"

Arthur smiled and placed his hands on Alfred's shoulders and squeezed lightly.

"You'll do well. I assure you."

Alfred smiled and felt as if a weight had been lifted from him. Arthur really believed in him. He felt the urge to embrace Arthur, but stopped himself. Instead, he gently rested his own hands on Arthur's waist for a few seconds before Arthur abruptly released his shoulders and started down the hall.

"Come. We have a lot of work today."

The pair quickly had their breakfast in the dining hall before heading towards a wing of the castle that Alfred had yet to see. Arthur quickly maneuvered the winding corridors, and after a short while they came to a large stone door. Arthur placed his hand on a metal plate beside the door and closed his eyes. Alfred heard him mumble a few words under his breath, then saw a faint, blue light radiate from his hand. Not a moment after, the door slowly opened. Magic, Alfred assumed. Just past the door was a winding stone staircase, and the pair slowly began to descend.

"Where are we going?"Alfred asked, as he watched the door close behind them.

"The Castle's heart. It's where all of Spade's magic originates." As the pair descended, Arthur spoke again. "This is where I spent most of my time before you came here."

"You study magic?"

"Yes. A little." Alfred's eyes widened slightly. Only the highest classes were taught magic, so Alfred had never had the opportunity to learn any.

The pair eventually made it to the bottom of the stairs. Alfred could tell they were very far underground. Without a word, Arthur turned down one of the corridors, and Alfred followed after him. The walls were lined with shelves, each one covered with spell books and strange glowing instruments that Alfred had never seen before. Every now and then, they would pass someone in a blue cloak, who would bow, then return to their activities.

"We have the strongest magic forces in all of Cards," Arthur said, catching Alfred's attention, "...and because of that we also have the strongest military. The only country who even comes close to rivaling us in strength is..."

"Clubs, right?"

Arthur let out a quick smile at Alfred's quick answer.

"Right."

Eventually they came to the end of a long hallway with a large stone door similar to the one they had seen before. Arthur stopped and turned to Alfred.

"Only the royals can open the door to the Spade's heart." Alfred paused for a moment, then looked to the side of the door. There was a metal panel beside the door just like the one he had seen before. Alfred walked up to it, and started to place his hand on the panel, then stopped.

"So...uh. Do I need a password or something?"

Arthur tilted his head.

"A password? No, just place your hand on it." Alfred nodded then mimicked what Arthur had done on the door above. Upon placing his hand on the panel, Alfred felt a warm feeling near his heart, then watched as a bright blue light emitted from his hand. Almost immediately, both sensations were gone and the old doors creaked open. The pair entered the room, and the doors creaked closed behind them. Alfred couldn't believe what he saw. The inside of the room was very bare. There was nothing of monetary value inside, but floating overhead was large blue ball of light. It was something that Alfred could only describe as unearthly, as it spun, slowly emitting wisps of shining energy. The only sounds in the room were coming from the strange ball and were hard to place. It sounded metallic, but also like drops of water, and in the background was the unmistakable ticking of a clock. It sounded beautiful.

"Wow," Alfred exhaled at a loss for words. Arthur nodded.

"This is the Spade's heart. Not only is it responsible for all magic in Spades, it is also the system that chooses the royals."

Alfred turned to look at Arthur.

"This is the thing that chose me to be King?" Arthur rolled his eyes in response.

"It's not a _thing_ , Alfred. This is the very life of Spades itself. Without this alive and intact, there is no Spades. Every country in Cards has their own magic system. This is what makes Spades...Spades." Arthur looked back at the glowing ball of energy. "The system also bestows the royals with unbelievable amounts of magic." Alfred's eyes widened in response.

"Wait. So I can use magic?"

"Very powerful magic, Alfred. The King can wield far more magic than anyone else in Spades. You just need to learn how to access it."

Alfred's mind raced, trying to process the idea of being able to use magic himself. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but was distracted by something on the far wall. He wandered over to the wall and found two shelves in the wall. He looked at the item that was resting on the shelf closest to him. It was a large golden clock, in fact it was so large it looked like it would need two hands to hold. Arthur walked up behind him.

"That's the Queen's arms. Its a weapon of sorts."

"A weapon? How's it used?"

"It's a time shield. The Queen can combine it with a spell to temporarily stop time to evade advancing enemies...only for a short amount of time though. It's very physically taxing. I only saw my grandmother use it once."

Alfred blinked back his surprise.

"Wait, time? There's magic that can stop time?"

"Yes. In fact time magic is specific to Spades. None of the other countries can use that type of magic." Arthur paused and looked down before continuing. "The King can cast the most time magic though. While the Queen can alter time at a short range, the King can alter time for all of Spades. The King can also look into the future and the past-"

"Wait, you're saying I can do all of that stuff?" Alfred jumped forward, grabbing on to Arthur's shoulders. Arthur, eyes wide with shock, nodded his head.

"Yes, with the proper spell and enough practice..."

Alfred released Arthur's shoulders and stepped back.

"Wow..." Alfred said as he walked towards the other shelf to see that it was empty. "What goes here, Arthur?"

Arthur looked at the shelf, then blinked.

"Oh. That's where the King's arms usually are."

"Oh. My weapon...so where is it?"

Arthur looked away from Alfred.

"...I have it..."

Alfred frowned in response.

"Wait, why do you have the King's arms?"

"Because."

"Hey!" Alfred folded his arms and scowled at Arthur, who seemed unfazed.

"Well it doesn't matter, you only need it for larger spells. Today we'll be working on conjuring magic without your weapon," Arthur said as he headed for the door. "Come on, let's get started."

Alfred made a sour face, but followed Arthur out of the room without pressing the issue any further.

Arthur led Alfred to a large, stone room just a short distance away from the Spade heart. As Alfred stood in the doorway, Arthur went to the other end of the room, and began setting up what looked like an old, wooden target. Alfred closed the door behind them and called to Arthur from across the room.

"So, what kind of magic are we going to do?"

Arthur got the target set up, then began walking back towards Alfred.

"A simple fire spell. The coronation will take place without magic on your part, but at the ball you will have to ceremoniously light the chandelier in the great hall."

"With fire? Do you think I'll be able to do something that impressive?"

A smirk tugged at the corners of Arthur's mouth.

"Conjuring fire is actually pretty easy. Controlling it will be your downfall."

Alfred raised his eyebrows, intrigued at Arthur's statement. Alfred then rolled up his sleeves as Arthur came to stand beside him.

"So, what do I do?"

"Well, first we need to find out how you access your magic. From there, you should be able to cast spells with a simple thought without needing incantations." Arthur looked at Alfred, who was wearing a confused expression. Arthur rolled his eyes. "To start with, close your eyes. It'll be easier for you to focus."

Alfred nodded and let his eyes slide closed. A few seconds passed in silence before Alfred felt Arthur's fingers gently touch the area just above his stomach. He then heard Arthur's voice very close to his ear, in a low and gentle whisper.

"When you use magic, you should feel a warm feeling in your core..." Arthur gently traced his hand up and let his fingers rest over Alfred's chest. "...and on your heart."

Alfred's breath hitched slightly as he shut his eyes tighter and nodded.

"Okay," Alfred said, hoping that Arthur couldn't feel how fast his heart beating. Arthur applied some pressure where his hand was resting over Alfred's heart. Alfred, now sure that Arthur could feel his heartbeat, began to say something but Arthur spoke first.

"You need to calm down, Alfred."

The words were said so close to Alfred's ear, that he could feel Arthur's lips briefly on his earlobe. Alfred nodded lightly, and after a few moments, his heartbeat calmed down and Arthur's hand slowly pulled away. Arthur, however remained close, and Alfred could still feel his breath on his ear.

"Now, think of a place or thing that makes you feel at ease."

"At ease?"

"Yes. It's very important that you only think of positive things when casting magic. Casting magic with bad thoughts makes it very easy to loose control." Alfred felt Arthur lean closer to him and felt his lips brush past his ear again. "So think of something that makes you feel good."

Alfred nodded again, feeling heat rush to his face. He then tried to think of something positive to hold in his mind. However, with the gentle warmth on his side and the lips near his ear, it was impossible for him to think of anything but Arthur. His eyes that shone like emeralds in sunlight. The creases that formed between his eyebrows when he was focused on something. The accent he spoke with. The way he smiled at him. His laugh. He couldn't think of anything but the man beside him.

"Are you thinking of something?" Arthur whispered into Alfred's ear once more.

"Yeah, I am."

"Alright. Now, when you're ready, open your eyes and focus on the target. As you do, think of the spell you want to cast. Nothing else, just the spell."

Alfred nodded, holding the thoughts of Arthur in his mind. Then he opened his eyes.

It happened just as Arthur had described. Upon opening his eyes, Alfred focused on the target and simply thought of fire. There was a very quick burning feeling above his stomach and over his heart and not a second after, the target, as well as most of the far half of the room, erupted in blue flames. Startled, Alfred took a step back and looked at Arthur beside him. Arthur was looking at the target with a smile on his face.

"Nicely done," Arthur said as he turned to look at Alfred. Alfred smiled sheepishly, then looked back at the target, overwhelmed that he had properly cast some magic. Arthur stepped forward, mumbled something under his breath and extended his hand. Alfred watched in amazement as the flames extinguished upon Arthur's command. Arthur walked towards the target, which had been knocked over in the flaming blast, and set it upright again. He turned back towards Alfred.

"And now we work on control."

The pair practiced magic in the palace dungeon into the rest of the morning. It took a lot of practice for Alfred to get used to casting magic, but eventually he got precise enough for only the target to erupt in flames. The goal was for Alfred to light only the innermost circle, but it appeared that would take more sessions. By the time their practice came to a stop, it was early afternoon. Alfred sat down on the cool floor of their practice room and leaned back on his hands.

"Magic takes a lot more out of you than I thought," he said, breathing a little heavily. Arthur came over and sat beside the King and smiled.

"Practicing magic is like working out physically. Eventually it will become easier and you won't get tired anymore."

"Really? Nice," Alfred said, finally catching his breath again. Arthur let out a short smile and clapped his hand on Alfred's shoulder.

"You did really well today."

Alfred smiled.

"Thanks." Alfred hesitated for a second, but then brought his own hand to rest over where Arthur's hand was on his shoulder. A few seconds passed before Arthur pulled his hand away and stood up.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"So much," Alfred said, standing up as well. Arthur flashed a smile at the King.

"Come on, let's go have lunch."

The next few days, the pair practiced magic together until Alfred was finally able to light only the innermost ring on the target. Preparations for the coronation and the ball were beginning to take place, so as the main rooms of the castle were decorated, the pair had to constantly move their normal lessons from room to room to stay out of the way of the castle servants. However in the mornings, the great ballroom was empty, and the pair began using the room for their next set of lessons. Alfred was confused when Arthur led him there for the first time though. As they entered the empty ballroom, Alfred looked around at the high, ornate ceilings and the chandelier that he would have to light at the ball.

"So what are we doing here?"

Arthur began setting up a music player near the wall where they came in, and looked over his shoulder at Alfred.

"Don't you remember? Yao instructed me to teach you ball customs this week. And today we're going to start with dance."

Alfred frowned.

"Oh..." Alfred let out a large sigh as he leaned against the wall behind him.

"Try not to sound so excited, Alfred."

"You don't understand, Arthur! I can't dance..."

"You also said you couldn't be King of Spades."

Alfred paused and thought for a moment.

"Okay, that's different," Alfred said as Arthur made his way back to where he was standing.

"No, it's not." Arthur said, extending his hand towards the King. "Come. I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Arthur had planned to teach Alfred four dances. The first two were Spade's traditional folk dances, which Alfred actually picked up very quickly. However, the last two were closer to classic ballroom dances and waltzes, which Alfred couldn't seem to grasp.

"Your left, Alfred. Not forward."

"Wait. But I just went left! I thought you go forward after that..." Alfred had one hand resting on Arthur's waist and the other grasping onto Arthur's hand, but because he kept messing up the steps, the pair ended up colliding more than a few times. Arthur sighed.

"There's only eight steps in this dance, Alfred. Surely it can't be that difficult for you."

"Well it is..." Alfred frowned, frustrated that learning this dance wasn't coming as easily as magic was. Arthur raised his eyebrows and leaned a little closer.

"Hey..don't look so upset, Alfred. I know it's difficult. But you need to learn this. It's a staple dance for any social event in Cards and as King, you'll be attending a lot of those. It's also the first dance you'll do with your Queen. You have to learn it."

Alfred's eyes widened.

"My Queen?"

"Of course. The Queen of Spades has yet to be found, but any day now the Queen will show up and—wait. Surely you've thought about this."

He hadn't. Alfred's days had been so filled with lessons and studying and Arthur that he had never even thought about the Queen of Spades. He rapidly thought back on everything he had studied about how the Cards royalties work.

"Wait. So I'll have to marry the Queen of Spades once she's found?"

"Or _he_ , Alfred. You know the Cards roles are not chosen based on gender. Even the current Queen of Hearts is a male, and the last King of Diamonds was a-"

"Yeah, whatever, but I'll have to get married to them?"

"Well, yes. Of course."

Alfred's hands let go of Arthur as he let the idea sink in.

"Alfred?" Arthur said with a concerned look falling over his face. Alfred shook his head and took a step back.

"Yeah. Sorry Arthur...I just...I think I'm a little tired today. I'm going to go take a break."

"Oh. Alright then. Get some rest," Arthur said. Alfred walked out the door of the ballroom and disappeared down the hall. Arthur stood in the ballroom in silence as he rubbed his hand across his forehead and mumbled some curses under his breath.

The next few days, they continued their morning dance practice, but with little progress. In fact, Arthur found Alfred messing up more and more as the days went by. Alfred's attitude had also changed a little. The King who was usually always smiling and joking with him had suddenly become more somber and seemed uncharacteristically quiet and constantly lost in thought. One afternoon, as the day of the coronation and the ball crept closer, the pair went to the study after another unsuccessful dance session. Alfred sat at the desk, scribbling down some information on a piece of paper. Yao had recently begun giving him paperwork, and Alfred was quickly getting used to the new assignments. The pair sat in the study in silence. Arthur had brought a book to read as Alfred worked, but he found himself constantly peering over at the King, who had his brow furrowed in concentration. Arthur suddenly closed his book and walked over to the desk where Alfred was working. The King finished writing the sentence he was working on then looked up at Arthur.

"What's up?"

"Let's go for a walk."

Alfred looked back down at his paper and finished signing his signature.

"I really should finish this work, Arthur."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at Alfred's statement.

"Since when do I need to convince you to skip out?"

Alfred looked back up again and smiled at Arthur weakly. He looked tired. The dark areas under his eyes indicated that he probably hadn't been sleeping very well. Arthur's heart fell slightly as he reached out and rested his hand on top of Alfred's wrist.

"Come on, Alfred. There's somewhere I want to take you."

Alfred followed Arthur through the castle and to the back courtyards behind the palace. Just beyond the gardens, there was a tall rose maze with blue roses in bloom. Arthur led Alfred into the maze. They made two turns to the right and one to the left, then walked along a long, straight portion of the maze. Eventually they came to a small dead end in the maze that had an old wooden door right in the middle of a wall of blooming roses. Arthur reached into his pocket and removed a small, silver key. He inserted it into the knob and twisted, opening the door before them. Alfred walked in and looked around. Natural walls made of stone and rocks surrounded a circular grassy area. There were several flowering trees that interwove overhead and a small water fountain in the middle of the clearing. Several glowing flowers and crystals were releasing soft light in the shade produced by the overhead trees. A small smile spread across Alfred's face as he looked around.

"What is this place?"

Arthur closed the door behind them.

"This is my garden. Well, my secret garden. No one knows this is here but me." Arthur stepped forward, towards Alfred. "And now, you."

Arthur beamed at the thought that Arthur trusted him enough to take him here. He looked back around.

"This is amazing, Arthur."

Arthur looked down, with a prideful smile on his face. Then he spoke again.

" I have a magic barrier protecting this place. No one else can enter here." Arthur paused for a moment, then walked forward, slipping the key into Alfred's hand. "I want you to come here anytime you want. If your role as King of Spades ever becomes too much, you can come here. You're not a king here. You're just Alfred." Arthur looked up into Alfred's blue eyes. "Like how to me, you're not a king. You're just Alfred."

Alfred felt his heart skip a beat as he smiled warmly at Arthur. He closed his hand around Arthur's, which had lingered after giving him the key.

"Thank you, Arthur."

Arthur nodded, and the two of them stood in silence, unmoving for a while. This time, Arthur seemed reluctant to pull his hand away, so they stood with their fingers intertwined in their own secret garden.

The day of the coronation finally arrived. The ceremony of officially crowning the King of Spades was a private affair, and the only ones who were allowed to witness it were the other royals and the palace staff, including the knights, the guards, the sorcerers, and upon Alfred's demand, Arthur.

Alfred was waiting in a small room near the throne room where the coronation would take place. There were just a few moments before the ceremony was to begin, and Yao said he would come to get him when it was time. Alfred was sitting by a window, anxiously drumming his hands on his knees. He was wearing clothes that were far more elaborate than his normal palace clothes and the stiffness of the garments were beginning to affect his nerves. He had asked a palace servant to bring Arthur to him, hoping that seeing Arthur would help him to feel more calm. However, that was several minutes ago and now he was beginning feel more anxious than ever.

Just then, Arthur burst through the doors of the room, completely out of breath. Alfred stood up as Arthur made his way towards the King.

"Arthur! Where were you? I'm loosing my mind over here," Alfred said, already feeling a little better at seeing his instructor.

"Sorry, Alfred. I had something to take care of in town."

"What?"

"Not important."

The pair stood in silence for a moment. Alfred was in no mood to further press why Arthur had gone to town, so he let the subject drop. He was beginning to feel a little better, but his nerves were still getting the best of him. He spread his arms a little, showing off the flowing fabric of the King's ceremonial garments.

"So...how do I look?"

"Ridiculous."

Alfred let out a short laugh before shaking his head and speaking again.

"Seriously, Arthur...do I?" Alfred shuffled uncomfortably in the heavy garments and looked away, bracing himself for whatever Arthur might say.

"You look like a King, Alfred."

Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who had a genuine smile on his face. He then got closer to Alfred and gently placed his hand on Alfred's arm and squeezed lightly.

"You're going to be fine. I promise."

Alfred felt a wave of relief as he looked into the eyes of the man he had come to trust more than anyone. Without thinking, Alfred took Arthur's hand in his, and slowly leaned forward, gently pressing their foreheads together. Alfred had a huge smile on his face, but then his smile fell. As they looked into each others eyes for a moment, they both felt something very different pass between them. Arthur didn't say anything, but Alfred felt Arthur's hand fall from his arm and instead slid down to the King's waist. Alfred felt his breath catch in the back of his throat as his heart begin to pound erratically in his chest. The King sloped his head slightly, causing their faces to slide closer together. Arthur's expression was unreadable, but Alfred could see the color that had begun to enter his instructor's face. Arthur's voice came out in a low whisper.

"What are we doing?"

Alfred hesitated for a moment, but instead of having Arthur push him away, he felt Arthur's grip tighten around his waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Alfred couldn't think of an answer to Arthur's question, but as he felt all nerves and reason slip away, he found himself leaning forward, beginning to close the gap between them.

There was a loud knock on the door. The pair broke away, startled. Alfred, who immediately felt reality rushing back to him, looked at Arthur in shock of what had almost happened. However, was more surprised at what he saw. Arthur, who was the definition of being calm and collected looked uncharacteristically flustered and embarrassed. His cheeks were flushed, and for once appeared to be at a loss for words. There was another knock on the door and the Jack's voice called into the room.

"Your Excellency?"

Alfred cleared his throat and tried to collect himself.

"Yes, Yao."

The Jack opened the door to the room with a smile on his face. He, too, was wearing more formal clothes than usual, however he seemed unaffected unlike Alfred.

"It's time, your Excellency! Are you ready?" The Jack paused upon entering the room. He looked from the King, to Arthur then tilted his head. "Is everything alright?"

Alfred spoke up immediately, attempting to clear the strange atmosphere in the room.

"Yeah! Yeah, uh. Everything's fine." Alfred looked at Arthur, who had nervously began adjusting his tie. Yao looked at the pair again, then shrugged.

"Alright then. Anyway, everything is in place for the ceremony. I suggest you take your seat now, Arthur. As for you, Your Excellency, please follow me."

Arthur left the room quickly, and Alfred thought he saw Arthur look back at him before silently slipping through the door. Alfred and Yao left shortly after. As they walked down the hall to the throne room, Yao spoke up.

"Did something happen, Your Excellency?"

Alfred looked at Yao, who looked genuinely curious. Alfred shook his head.

"No..." Alfred paused for a moment. "...at least I don't think so."

The coronation was able to start without any problems. Yao entered the room first, and waited for Alfred before the throne. As Alfred entered, the palace staff stood, as Alfred slowly made his way to where Yao was standing, being careful not to trip under the weight of the garments. As he walked in, he immediately saw where Arthur was standing, towards the middle of the room among the palace sorcerers. His expression was as calm as ever, and any evidence of his flustered state from before was long gone. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Arthur gave Alfred a reassuring smile. Alfred turned and looked forward again, trying not to be to distracted by thoughts about what had almost happened with them. If he started thinking about it now, there was no way he would be able to remember his lines for the ceremony. He finally reached Yao at the end of the room and stopped. He then lowered himself on one knee before the Jack. Yao then began speaking.

"You who bear the mark of the King," Yao said, looking at Alfred before him. "You have been chosen by Spades to be our sovereign ruler. Do you formally accept your duties?"

Alfred took a deep breath before speaking in a powerful voice that shocked even himself.

"I accept my duties. I, as King of Spades, promise to

grant my strength to our forces,

my power to our military,

my magic to the kingdom," Alfred paused before continuing.

"And my love to the people."

A servant then appeared beside Yao, holding the King's crown. It was made of a shining silver and was liberally decorated with the country's emblem. Yao took the crown from the servant, and gently placed it upon Alfred's head.

"You may rise, King." Yao said, taking a step back. As Alfred stood up, he and Yao slowly switched places and this time, Yao lowered himself to one knee.

"King of Spades. As your Jack, I formally swear to assist and guard you for as long as I live."

Alfred nodded and Yao slowly rose to his feet again.

When Yao stood up, and the pair slowly walked towards the thrones. Alfred took his seat in the Kings chair, and Yao stood beside him at his left hand side.

"Those who serve the Kingdom," Yao said, his voice echoing throughout the room, "I present to you King Alfred of Spades."

The throne room erupted in applause and cheers. Alfred looked out on the small crowd in the room and was able to pick out Arthur again who genuinely looked proud. Alfred's eyes then flitted to the empty Queen's chair beside him at his right hand. The King took a deep breath, wondering how a Queen would ever be able to take the place of the man he truly wanted beside him right now.

After the coronation, Arthur discretely pulled the new King aside into a corridor, and the pair walked to the gardens behind the Castle's West tower before Yao even noticed that the new King had gone.

"So, how was I?" Alfred said, proud that nothing had gone wrong in the ceremony.

"You could have sat on the King's throne a little more gracefully..."

Alfred jokingly sneered at Arthur's comment. Arthur then slowly let a smile form on his face.

"...but aside from that, you were brilliant."

Alfred let out a short laugh and scratched the back of his head, nervously. The memory of the events before the coronation were beginning to come back. However, his train of thought was cut short by Arthur's voice.

"There's something I want to give you..." Arthur said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket. He produced a small box that had been simply wrapped and handed it towards Alfred. Alfred blinked in response.

"This is for me?"

Arthur nodded, and Alfred took the box from his hands. Alfred attempted to unwrap the box neatly, but ended up tearing it open in excitement. Inside the wrapping was a small, black box. Alfred carefully removed the lid, and his eyes widened at what he saw. Inside the box was a shining, gold pocket watch in the shape of a spade. It had ornate detailing on the face of the clock as well as the back, and it was hooked on a short, gold chain. Alfred carefully removed the watch saw how it glinted when in caught sunlight.

"That is the King's weapon. With that, every time spell is at your disposal."

Alfred looked at Arthur, at a loss for words. Arthur looked away, swallowing his embarrassment as best he could.

"The previous King didn't take very good care of it, so I wanted to make sure it was cleaned and polished before I gave it to you."

"Is that what you went into town for today?"

Arthur didn't answer, but Alfred understood at this point that that was one of his ways of saying 'yes.'

"This is amazing, Arthur." With little warning, Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur. "Thank you."

Arthur didn't return the embrace, but did tilt his head a little so that he could properly rest his head on Alfred's shoulder.

"Do you want to know how grateful I am?" Alfred said, playfulness coming into his voice.

"How grateful are you?" Arthur replied.

Alfred pulled away, with a huge smile on his face. He then took a step back and did a mocking bow towards Arthur.

"I'm going to let you have my first dance at the ball tonight!"

Arthur smiled and let out a short laugh.

"As much as I'd enjoy getting my feet trampled by you again, I'm afraid that's impossible."

Alfred blinked back in confusion.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"I'm not attending the ball, Alfred." Arthur tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you knew."

Alfred's smile immediately fell.

"What? No, why not?"

Arthur took a deep breath and looked away.

"Alfred, this ball is your first official event as King. You can understand that your being accompanied by your instructor would not give off the best first impression of the new ruler of this country. You're already so young as it is, and you're going to need to appear as in control as possible to win the social approval of the people."

Alfred frowned and said nothing, so Arthur sighed before speaking again.

"I don't belong at that ball, Alfred. The ball is going to be nobles from all over Cards. While it has been arranged for me to stay in the Spades palace, it is only under the pretext of my working there. Once the Queen died, I lost my nobility. Therefore, I am no longer welcome at such events."

Alfred nodded and tightened his grasp on the cool, golden watch in his hand. He didn't like this. Alfred then realized what he had done. Upon accepting his roles as King, he had immediately wedged an enormous difference in social status between himself and Arthur. Not only that, now that he had accepted his duties, there was no reason for them to continue their lessons anymore. There was no longer any reason for Arthur to stay by his side.

"I understand," Alfred said. He tried to force a smile, however his face was dark from the realization. Arthur took a step forward, picking up on the King's solemn attitude.

"After the ball, come and find me. You can tell me all about it."

Alfred smiled at Arthur's suggestion and nodded.

"I will."

Alfred left the gardens and headed to his room to get ready for the ball, but somehow knew he was now only looking forward to it being over.

Alfred stood in the great hall with his eyes closed in concentration. A hushed silence fell over the audience as Alfred extended his hand. He opened his eyes, and surprisingly, he was able to perfectly cast the spell. The hundreds of candles on the chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated all at once, setting the room aglow with light. The crowd of people began clapping, and Alfred smiled, knowing that all of the practice he and Arthur had done had somehow paid off. He slowly made his way away from the front of the hall and joined Yao just a short distance away. The Jack had a pleased expression on his face.

"Well done, Your Excellency."

"Thanks, Yao." Alfred let out a relieved sigh, happy that the spell had gone well. Yao patted the King on the shoulder.

"You may rest easy, Your Excellency. The worst is over. This is a ball, so enjoy it!" Yao looked absolutely elated, and Alfred smiled at how positive Yao looked to officially have him assuming his role. The Jack then stepped away. "Wait here, King. I'll get you something to drink."

"Thanks," Alfred said, and he watched Yao disappear into the crowd.

The ball was far grander than anything Alfred had experienced thus far as King. There were a few hundred people in the hall, and as Arthur had told them, they were all nobles. They were dressed in fine clothes, and carried themselves with an air of elegance that Alfred still had not gotten used to. The majority of the guests were from Spades, but every now and then someone bearing the crest of another country in Cards walked past. The room was decorated with extravagant and exotic flowers, there were palace servants walking about with trays of food and drink, and there was a full orchestra playing dance music near one of the far walls. The high windows of the great hall looked out on the palace inner gardens, and over all, the atmosphere of this event was unlike anything Alfred had ever experienced. Alfred still felt slightly uncomfortable, and not just from the suit he was wearing. While he was gradually getting used to it, he still felt like he didn't belong here. ' _Like he didn't belong here.'_ He thought back to Arthur's words in the garden.

 _He would fit in here much more than I do_ , Alfred thought to himself.

"Excuse me."

Suddenly Alfred heard a voice to his side and turned to see who it was. The man standing before him had jet-black hair and dark eyes. He was shorter than Alfred was, but he had a very unique elegance to him. He was wearing deep red robes and bore the crest of Hearts on his chest, and the man gave off such a calm air that even Arthur's collected attitude could be rivaled. Every hair and garment was perfectly in place, and Alfred felt that the man before him practically looked like a painting. Alfred collected himself before speaking.

"Uh, Yes?"

The man in red smiled.

"So it's true..."

"I'm sorry, what's true?"

"I had heard rumors in Hearts that the new King of Spades was a young and attractive man, but I had no clue the rumors would be so accurate." Alfred shuffled nervously, unsure of how to respond to the compliment. The man covered his mouth to stifle a short laugh. "Forgive me, King of Spades. I'm just joking with you." The man then extended his hand towards Alfred. "I am Kiku Honda. I am the current Queen of Hearts." Upon receiving context, Alfred smiled and shook the hand offered to him.

"I'm Alfred. Nice to meet you, uh-"

"You can just call me Kiku, King Alfred. There's no need for formalities in a setting like this."

"Alright, Kiku then."

The Queen of Hearts nodded and spoke again.

"I do hope that my cousin is serving you well."

Alfred thought for a moment, then made the connection on why Kiku looked somewhat familiar.

"You're Yao's cousin?"

"Yes."

Alfred's eyes widened at the realization, then Kiku spoke up again.

"You'll have to forgive my King and Jack for not being here, King Alfred. They had prior engagements. But I couldn't resist the urge to come to Spades to congratulate you personally, so I am here as the royal representative for Hearts this evening."

"Oh, I see," Alfred said, beginning to feel more comfortable around the man before him.

Alfred was familiar with the fact that on the King's first ball after the coronation, each country in Cards traditionally sends one member from their royal family to represent their country in the new King's celebration. Of course, any country can send more than one, but one is the absolute minimum. Suddenly Kiku looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, look over there..." Kiku gestured towards the wall opposite where the pair were standing. "There's the representative for Diamonds. They sent their Jack." Alfred looked over towards where Kiku had pointed. There was a man in shining golden clothes and was currently talking with a group of other men. He had blond hair cut just past his ears and was wearing a very serious expression as he spoke with his captive audience. Kiku spoke again, lowering his voice. "I wouldn't interrupt him right now. It looks like he's closing a financial deal, and you don't want to come between Basch and money. He's a kind man, but very motivated and ruthless when it comes to financial gain." Kiku raised his voice to a normal register again. "But I suppose that's typical for Diamonds." Alfred smiled at Kiku's statement. Diamonds was well known for their wealth, and quite frankly that was almost all that they were known for aside from their high population of aristocrats and their bustling fashion trade. Suddenly, the orchestra switched songs, and Alfred immediately recognized the tune from his practices with Arthur.

"You aren't going to dance, King Alfred? Since you don't have your Queen yet, you certainly wouldn't have a hard time finding a partner..." Kiku discretely pointed towards a small group of women who had gathered a short distance away. Alfred hadn't noticed them before, and when he looked over at them, they all giggled and turned away. Alfred let out an embarrassed laugh.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not much of a dancer."

Kiku smiled at the statement.

"Good. Neither am I. I've never cared for it."

The two exchanged a look of appreciation the laughed. Kiku spoke up again.

"I have a feeling we'll be good friends, King Alfred."

Alfred smiled, feeling genuinely comfortable for the first time since the ball started.

"I get that feeling too."

Kiku cleared his throat and collected himself after laughing, then spoke again.

"Since you've officially sworn to your duties, you'll be slowly making your rounds around Cards to reaffirm your allies, correct?"

Alfred nodded. Yao had mentioned something about traveling to Diamonds and Hearts to formally re-request their alliance. Kiku continued.

"Why don't you come to Hearts first? We _are_ your closest ally both geographically and historically, and we'll be sure to offer you our greatest hospitality."

Alfred raised his eyebrows at the thought then smiled.

"Yes, I think I'll do that. I'll bring it up to Yao this week."

Kiku seemed pleased and he took a short step back.

"Well, I'm going to go greet some of the representative families from Hearts. It was nice meeting you, King Alfred. I look forward to seeing you again." And with that, the man named Kiku disappeared into the crowd.

Alfred waited for a little while longer by the wall, but when Yao still hadn't returned after several minutes, he made his way across the ballroom towards where Yao had disappeared. He eventually made it to a large table on the far side of the room with covered with assorted beverages. Alfred looked around for a while, then felt a hand on his shoulder. Alfred turned around, expecting to see Yao, but froze upon seeing the person who was behind him. The man was much taller than Alfred and donned green garments that flowed just above the floor. He had pale hair and deep blue eyes, and while the man was smiling, there was something dark about his mannerisms that made Alfred uneasy.

"It's nice to see that you've finally appeared, King of Spades. I was beginning to think you would never be found."

The chilling grin never fell from the man's face as he spoke. Alfred frowned, refusing to be intimidated by the man in green.

"And who are you?"

The man in green let out a laugh.

"How rude of me. I should have been more clear from the start..." The tall man stepped forward, looming over Alfred. "I am the King of Clubs. I believe we have war to discuss."

Realizing that he was staring at the man responsible for the several attacks on Spades in the past few years, Alfred felt disgust rising within himself. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a familiar voice filled with anger.

"Ivan!"

The pair turned towards where the voice had come from, and Alfred's eyes widened. Standing just a short distance away was Yao, holding two drinks in his hand. However, what Alfred had found surprising was Yao's voice. His face was calm, but Alfred had never heard him sound so furious. Alfred glanced back at the King of Clubs to see that the menacing smile had disappeared from his face and instead he had a blank expression.

"Yao." The King of Clubs said quietly. Without saying anything, Yao stepped forward standing by Alfred's side. He turned to Alfred and spoke.

"You'll have to forgive me, Your Excellency. I was talking with an investor and couldn't get away." Yao handed Alfred a glass, and shot a glare at the man in green.

"I certainly hope you weren't tormenting my King, Ivan."

Alfred looked from Yao to the King of Clubs, trying to figure out what was going on. It was obvious that the two had met before, but what Alfred was currently distracted by was how angry Yao seemed. Not only was he glaring, which Alfred had never seen before, he also had one hand wrapped around the sword strapped to his waist, as if he were ready to draw it at any time. Even more surprisingly, The King of Clubs, who had seemed cold and menacing just a moment ago now seemed almost apologetic. Ivan began to extend his hand toward Yao, but then hesitated, pulling his hand back.

"Yao, I...I just want to talk."

Yao's expression didn't change, nor did he remove his hand from the sword. A few moments passed, then Yao let out a sigh.

"Fine." Yao turned to Alfred. "Please excuse me, Your Excellency. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Alfred looked at the King of Clubs, then back at Yao.

"Alright."

Alfred watched Yao lead the King of Clubs into the crowd, and once again, Alfred was left alone.

Alfred stood against the one of the far walls of the great hall. He wanted to socialize, but among the nobles, he wasn't quite sure how. It didn't help that most of the guests at this affair were far older than he was. Yao showed no signs of returning anytime soon, and Kiku seemed to have vanished all together. Alfred removed his pocket watch from the innermost pocket of his suit. Only an hour had passed since the ball had begun. Alfred let out a sigh and ran his fingers over the cool metal of the pocket watch. He had attached the key Arthur had given him to the gold chain on the pocket watch, and he could feel the weight of the key resting in his pocket. He thought for a moment, then he made a decision. Alfred waited until the orchestra began playing a new song and many of the guests headed to the center of the room to start the new dance. Then, as discretely as possible, Alfred slipped out of the grand hall and turned down one of the palace corridors, leaving the party behind.

Alfred walked down the empty halls of the palace, enjoying the silence for once. Most of the lights in the other parts of the palace had been lowered, so Alfred made his way through the castle in the dim candlelight. Without realizing it, Alfred had walked to the North-most part of the palace. As he looked out on the North gardens, he could see the rose maze that Arthur had led him into just the other day. Without thinking any further, Alfred walked out one of the side doors and made his way into the rose maze. He remembered the turns that they had taken previously, and without too much difficulty, Alfred was able to find the door in the wall of roses. Alfred produced the key from his pocket and inserted the key into the door, turning the knob slowly.

Alfred had originally come to the garden to be alone. Arthur had offered him to use the place when he felt overwhelmed, and he certainly was feeling less than pleased about how the ball had played out. However, when he entered the secret garden and saw who was in there, he began to think that maybe he had been hoping to see him all along.

Sitting on the edge of the stone water fountain, flipping through the pages of a small book was Arthur. He looked like he was concentrating on the contents of the book, but when Alfred opened the door, he looked up. Arthur smiled and closed his book, and as he stood up, Alfred saw how his emerald eyes seemed to shine in the soft glow of the crystals surrounding the fountain.

"Seventy-two minutes. That's actually much longer than I thought you'd last."

Alfred would normally have taken some offense to Arthur's snide comment, however at this moment, it was just what he needed to set his heart at ease. Alfred let out a short laugh and closed the door behind him.

"You had that much faith in me, huh?"

Arthur thought for a moment before answering.

"I had more than enough faith in you. Those parties, however, can get boring rather quickly."

Alfred raised an eyebrow and crossed the garden to stand beside Arthur.

"It was pretty boring."

"I expected it would be." Some silence fell between them. Even within the magic barrier of the secret garden, the music and sounds of the party could still be heard. Arthur spoke up. "Did you dance with anyone at least?"

"No."

" _No_? After all of that practicing we did, Alfred...why not?"

Arthur looked at Arthur and smiled.

"Because I believe I promised _you_ my first dance, Arthur."

Arthur froze in place, and said nothing. Alfred thought he saw some color rush to Arthur's face before his instructor turned his face away from him. The muffled sound of the orchestra continued, and Alfred recognized the tune as one of the songs he and Arthur had practiced to. Carefully, he took Arthur's hand and pulled him into the middle of the garden. He placed his other hand on Arthur's waist, then slowly began moving through the steps of the dance.

Alfred had yet to complete the dance without messing up, however somehow on this particular evening, the steps of the dance seemed to come to him naturally. And when the song eventually came to an end, Alfred stopped, ending the waltz perfectly. The pair stood in silence without saying anything. They were still holding onto one another from the dance, but Alfred gently tightened his grip on Arthur. As they looked at each other, they both felt a spark run through them again. Alfred felt his heartbeat quicken in his chest. He knew that if he proceed this time there would be no one to stop them, but as he felt Arthur lean in a little closer to him, he felt his reason slip away. Alfred let his eyes slide closed and leaned in, gently letting his mouth meet Arthur's.

At first, there was no response. However, Alfred soon felt Arthur's eyes flutter closed and begin to kiss Alfred in return. Alfred gasped lightly and pulled Arthur closer to him. His mind began to race along with his heart. He was kissing _Arthur_. He had cared so much about Arthur, but had never thought about doing this before. But as he tilted his head to kiss Arthur deeper, he wondered if this had been what he wanted all along. Suddenly, Arthur brought his hands to Alfred's chest and pushed back lightly. As they broke away, they were both breathless. Arthur's cheeks were flushed, but he had a pained expression as he slowly shook his head.

"I can't do this, Alfred..."

Alfred felt his heart drop in his chest. He still wasn't exactly sure what was unfolding between them, but he knew that he didn't want it to stop now.

"...Why?" Alfred asked. Arthur didn't answer right away, and looked away from Alfred. Alfred couldn't stand the thought of distance after they had just been so close. He leaned forward and began placing kisses on Arthur's ear. Arthur tried to lean away at first, but shortly after stood still, allowing Alfred to kiss him.

"I-I can't...you'll have, ah. You'll have a Queen soon, and I..."

Alfred interrupted Arthur, not allowing him to say anything more.

"I'm not a King here, Arthur...it's just you and me." Alfred pulled back from Arthur's ear and pressed their foreheads together, looking into Arthur's eyes. "It's just us here. Nothing else."

Alfred watched the hesitation begin to fade from Arthur's emerald eyes. The pair leaned forward again, and this time, Arthur didn't hold back. As if Alfred had somehow convinced him, Arthur began kissing him honestly and eagerly. Arthur's hands began to wander the Kings back, and he pressed his body firmly against Alfred's. Alfred felt a wave of relief as he realized that Arthur might have wanted this as much as he did, and his heart began to pound happily in his chest. They both attempted to hold back moans that began to slip from the back of their throats, but as the kisses became more needy, they knew it was impossible. A deep warmth was being generated between them, and soon not even to cool night in Spades nor the sounds from the ball seemed to matter anymore. The pair eventually pulled away, catching their breath and looking into each others eyes. As they shortly found themselves leaning forward again, they both immediately knew that there was no turning back.

* * *

Whew, what a chapter -.-

This chapter was a lot longer than I originally planned? But I guess it all worked out, Alfred finally got some kissies :3

Thanks for reading to chapter three ^^ Let me know what you guys think~


	4. Chapter 4: Undefined

Alfred began to wonder if the whole night had been an elaborate dream. After their night in the garden with kisses and wandering hands and holding each other, Alfred was sure that something had changed inside of Arthur, as well as himself. However, when morning came it was almost as if as if none of it had happened. Arthur knocked on his door to wake him up per the norm, and the two went to eat breakfast together in the main hall just as they always had. Arthur rattled on about the schedule for the day as they ate. He was completely composed, seemingly unfazed at any of the previous night's activities. Arthur was being as friendly as ever, but was definitely not acting as close as they had been in the garden. Alfred swallowed. Was it all a dream? Had he and Arthur never actually kissed, and this was all the result of a weird, heated dream he had? It all seemed too real though, as if he could still feel Arthur's tongue lapping over his own and his hands caressing his face as they slid into his hair. As if he could still feel Arthur's body pressed against his, and his name whispered briefly between gasps for air.

"Alfred."

The King dropped his fork as he snapped back to reality and looked at Arthur, who had stopped talking. Arthur shot him a questioning look as Alfred retrieved the fallen utensil.

"Are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, uh, fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, for one thing, you haven't eaten anything yet."

Alfred looked down at his plate, still full of untouched food.

"Oh. Right." Alfred shoveled a few forkfuls of food into his mouth eagerly, trying to dispel any idea that he wasn't acting normally. Arthur watched Alfred in mild disgust and slid an extra napkin to the King seated beside him. Arthur cleared his throat and continued.

"As I was saying, Alfred. As of yesterday, you're officially responsible for taking care of all of your duties as King of Spades."

Alfred swallowed as he slowly nodded his head. He felt ready, however, he was less than enthusiastic. Arthur continued.

"However, after talking with Yao this morning, I was able to encourage him that you are still in need of your lessons."

Alfred's head shot up at this statement.

"Wait. We're going to continue our lessons? In what? I already know everything that I have to do as a royal."

"True. But there are some things that you need to have reinforced training for as a _noble_."

"Like what?"

Arthur's eyes flitted down to Alfred's plate, then back to Alfred, who was eagerly chewing once more.

"Well, for one thing, manners."

Alfred stopped chewing and thought for a moment. He then carefully took the napkin that Arthur had offered him to wipe his face. He had a point. Arthur continued talking.

"There are a number of things that would be helpful for you to know. And while they don't play directly into your role as a King, it certainly would be more than becoming of you to know them as a member of high society."

"So we're going to continue our lessons?" Alfred let a bright smile spread across his face. Arthur nodded.

"For the time being, yes. Of course, your duties as King will come first. But we'll meet for lessons four times a week."

While they were no longer going to be meeting every day anymore, Alfred couldn't bring himself to be too upset. He had originally feared that he wouldn't be seeing Arthur anymore, but now that he knew that they would still have their lessons, he was elated.

"So we'll still be able to see each other?"

Arthur gave Alfred a quick, puzzled look before a small smile crept across his face.

"Of course. Just because you're officially King, I wasn't going to leave Spades. I'm still employed by the castle, I legitimately can't go anywhere." Arthur paused for a moment and looked down. "And contrary to whatever you may believe, I enjoy seeing you."

Alfred felt his heart skip at Arthur's statement. He tried not to think about his memories of the night before, and simply smiled at the thought of Arthur still spending time with him.

"So, when's our first lesson?"

"Today, if you'd like. I know Yao wants to discuss some details with you after breakfast, but supposing you finish that work, your afternoon should be free."

"Yeah, sure!"

Arthur smiled at Alfred's uncontrolled enthusiasm, and let out a short laugh.

"Excellent. I'll come get you after lunch."

The pair finished eating breakfast, and left the dining hall. Arthur was to resume his work with the palace sorcerers, so the two of them would be working in separate wings of the castle until later in the afternoon. They lingered for a moment outside of the dining hall.

"Remember, Yao will be meeting you in the conference room in the North Tower today." Arthur said, unconvinced that Alfred would find it on the first try.

"I know, I know. I'm heading there right now."  
"Alright."

Alfred turned to head towards his destination for the day, but froze as he felt a pair of lips briefly connect with the back of his neck. Arthur's voice came in a low whisper.

"See you."

Alfred turned around quickly, but watched as Arthur made his way down the hall and disappeared around a corridor without another word. Alfred was left in the empty hall alone with his thoughts, wondering where exactly the line was drawn between his dreams and reality.

Alfred found Yao in the North Tower, just as Arthur had said, and the two of them worked in the lofty conference room for most of the morning. Yao was overviewing most of Alfred's duties for the month, but shortly after he listed the events that needed to be held, Alfred took over the meeting. Yao seemed surprised at first, but quickly began scribbling down notes and dates that Alfred told him to. Alfred was making the transition to King quite easily.

"And the first big order of business we need to take care of is our alliances with Hearts and Diamonds." Alfred spread out an old map of Cards on the conference room table and traced his hand across the paper. "Hearts is closest geographically. I also spoke with the Queen of Hearts at the ball last night. I think now is the right time to make our alliance official for the duration of my reign." Yao nodded, with a pleased expression on his face.

"Excellent observation, Your Excellency. I couldn't agree more."

Alfred looked up from the paper and smiled at Yao.

"I heard that Kiku is your cousin. He seems like a great guy."

Yao looked up at the King of Spades and nodded.

"He is. I didn't get to talk with him at the ball last night." Yao paused for a second and his smile fell slightly. "Did...did he seem alright to you, Your Excellency?"

Alfred cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. Kiku had seemed to be the very definition of composure and grace at the ball. And there seemed nothing false about his smile either. After drawing his conclusion, Alfred spoke.

"He seemed fine to me, Yao. Why? Is something wrong with him?"

Yao shook his head quickly.

"Oh, no, not at all. It's just...I've heard that he's been under some stress lately, something about his King and his Jack..." Yao trailed off, then he cleared his throat. "But if you didn't sense anything wrong, Your Excellency, then I'm sure it's nothing."

Alfred found his Jack's concern a little unnerving, but since Yao didn't press the issue any further, he let the topic drop. Yao flipped though a book filled with times and dates for each day of the year, then he spoke up.

"I agree, I think it's best if we close this deal quickly, Your Excellency. After all, Hearts has been our ally for centuries and it would just entail you greeting them as the new King of Spades and a formal signing of papers. Shall we head to Hearts at the end of this week? It's only a few hours Southeast of here."

Alfred looked at the map and traced his finger between the Spades capital and the Hearts capital. It was true, the castles were closer than he had thought.

"Yeah, lets do that."

"Yes, Your Excellency. I'll send a formal announcement to Hearts this evening."

"Alright. Next is Diamonds." Alfred looked back down at the map. "Diamonds has historically remained neutral for many of the wars between Clubs and Spades, however with their wealth, I really think it'd be better for us to have them as an ally."

Yao stepped closer to the map and spoke up.

"Perhaps it'd be best to go to Diamonds directly after Hearts." Yao looked up from the map at Alfred and continued. "Diamonds maintains a good relationship with Hearts as well. Maybe our newly renewed alliance with Hearts will sway them better than waiting and trying again later."

Alfred thought for a moment then smiled.

"Good plan. Okay, lets head to Diamonds directly after Hearts."

Yao nodded in response, then began writing the new information down in one of his books. As he did so, Alfred's gaze fell on the map again. He looked at the large, Northern-most portion of the map, shaded in worn, green ink with thick, black borders. Clubs. Alfred's thoughts flickered back to the tall, looming man at the ball whose eyes were cold like ice and smile was as menacing as death itself. Then he thought how all of those features had immediately softened and become more human when faced with Yao. Alfred knitted his brows.

"Yao...did something happen between you and the King of Clubs?"

Yao's hand immediately stopped writing and froze in place. Alfred knew that he was over-stepping Yao's boundaries, but he had to know. Yao was his Jack, after all. As Yao slowly looked up from his book, Alfred was shocked at what he saw. Yao's eyes were filled with regret. However, that expression quickly faded away, and soon Yao was wearing his normal expression again.

"Yes. Though that was a long time ago, Your Excellency." Yao returned his attention back to the book and finished writing his sentence. "But everything is over now. My loyalty is solely to you, and my love is solely to Spades, Your Excellency." Yao looked back up at Alfred, his dark eyes shining in honesty. "There is no room in my heart for anything else."

Alfred finished his meeting with Yao on schedule, and when they were finished, the King went to the dining hall for lunch. Arthur was nowhere to be found, however. Alfred waited around for a little while, but when it became clear that Arthur wasn't coming, he quickly ate his meal and hurried down the halls to find him. Alfred easily found the doors that descended to the lowest level of the castle. Alfred slid his hand over the panel, as Arthur had done the last time they went to the lower level, and watched as the door slid open. After descending to the staircase, Alfred walked about the stone hallways, trying to find Arthur. Sound carried very easily in this level of the castle and it only took a few minutes for him to hear Arthur's voice. Alfred followed Arthur's voice down a long corridor and eventually found the room where Arthur was. The door was left open, and Alfred was about to run in to surprise him, but stopped immediately just outside of the doorway.

Arthur was indeed in the room, donning the cloak used by palace sorcerers with black gloves thumbing through the pages of a magic text. His emerald eyes were shining in the dim candlelight of the room as they flickered across the pages. He looked just as Alfred had imagined he'd look when practicing magic. What he hadn't imagined was the taller man standing next to Arthur, as what Alfred deemed to be a little too close. The man with brown hair and dark eyes was wearing an identical cloak to Arthur's and looked to be at least a year younger than Arthur. He reached over, taking part of the book in his hand, brushing just past Arthur's hand. What was he doing? Why was he acting so close to Arthur? Or was this simply a normal way to share a book? Alfred didn't know, nor could he comprehend why he was feeling so sick. Alfred had never felt this way when any of his previous friends hung out with people he didn't know, so why was he disgusted to see Arthur acting so close to someone who wasn't him? The man with brown hair pointed at a passage in the text.

"See? Right here. Wouldn't this spell work?"

Arthur furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"No, it wouldn't. I tried the exact same class of spell before. It didn't work." Arthur's voice was stern and authoritative, a tone that until now Alfred hadn't heard him use on anyone except himself.

"Really?" The man leaned closer to the book, his face now right beside Arthur's. Alfred couldn't bear to watch any longer. Alfred stepped closer into the doorway and loudly cleared his throat. Arthur immediately looked up, and Alfred watched the concentration fall from his green eyes as they widened in surprise.

"Your Excellency."

Alfred almost physically flinched at Arthur's statement. Arthur never called him anything but 'Alfred.' Anything else felt far too formal, and in this situation, it was the last thing he needed. The other man looked up in awe at the King, then bowed deeply. Alfred forced a laugh.

"I uh, hope I'm not interrupting or anything..."

Arthur closed the large book and shook his head.

"No, not at all. Your lessons, right? Just a moment."

Alfred's forced smile faltered slightly. The thick layer of formality in Arthur's voice was making him irritated. Arthur handed the magic text to the man beside him.

"Thank you, Gareth. We'll try again tomorrow." The man took the book from Arthur and smiled.

"Alright. Thanks, Art."

He took the book and headed for the door, pausing to bow slightly to Alfred as he left. Alfred leaned against the door frame, allowing the man named Gareth to pass, but shot an icy look at the man's back as he walked away. Alfred turned his attention back to Arthur, who had taken off his cloak and had begun removing his gloves.

"Ready to go?"Arthur said, unaware of Alfred's foul mood.

"Sure. Who was that?" Alfred mumbled, trying his best not to sound as irritated as he felt. Arthur looked confused for a moment then looked at the door.

"Oh, Gareth. He's a sorcerer. He's been with the castle for a couple of years and sometimes I help him with his magic."

"You seem close."

Arthur thought for a moment then shrugged as he folded his cloak and placed it on the table in front of him.

"I suppose."

Arthur's lack of denial stirred a new feeling inside of Alfred that he wasn't familiar with. But he knew he didn't like it. Alfred took a few steps inside the room as Arthur cleaned up the array of books and texts sprawled across the room. Alfred looked around. Judging by how it was organized, he guessed that this room was used only by Arthur. The books and files that lined the wall were arranged in a clear and practical order. Jars containing magic properties were neatly labeled in Arthur's handwriting on some of the lower shelves, and despite the room having the dusty smell of magic, there was an almost undetectable fragrance of black tea, which Alfred knew his instructor loved. The King idly tugged at the corners of Arthur's freshly folded cloak on the desk and said nothing. Arthur walked to the far side of the room to a shelf.

"Sorry I didn't eat lunch with you today. I got caught up in my work, and I ate down here."

"Hmm." Alfred didn't gratify Arthur's apology with actual words, and instead continued to tug at the velvet material of the cloak. The prolonged silence caught Arthur's attention. He turned and looked at the King from across the room as he slipped some books back into their rightful places on the bookshelf.

"Is everything alright?"

Alfred's hands stopped moving.

" _Your Excellency_? Since when do you call me that?" Alfred's voice came out a little more fierce than he had planned, and Arthur's composure immediately fell from his face. At first, he looked a little apologetic, but then he rolled his eyes and walked towards Alfred.

"Don't be a child." Arthur said as he came to stand beside Alfred. His voice came out stern at first, but then he looked around the room and lowered his voice to a whisper. "People have begun talking...saying that I'm being too casual to you as a King. If I am to maintain any sort of position here, people need to know I respect you." Arthur paused for a moment. "Or at least, I need to make them think that I do."

Alfred shoved Arthur's shoulder at the snide remark and Arthur let out a short laugh in response. Alfred then thought for a moment. What Arthur was saying did make sense. He knew that there was a wide difference in status between him and Arthur that would probably never go away. Alfred let go of his anger on the subject and let out a sigh.

"Fine. But you'll never call me that when we're alone, got it?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows, intrigued at the notion of Alfred essentially ordering him to do something. A thin smile then tugged at the corners of Arthur's mouth.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Alfred followed Arthur down the hall to the same room they had used when they practiced magic. In the weeks since then, they had occasionally come back, Alfred's magic and control growing steadily more powerful with each visit. However, they were not there for magic today. No sooner than Alfred closed the heavy door of the practice room, Arthur tossed a large object towards Alfred.

"Catch."

Arthur's words were more of a statement than a warning, as the item almost hit the King in the face. Alfred frantically grabbed the item tossed to him, managing to catch it without injury. He shot Arthur a short glare, then looked at the item he had caught. The long silver weapon was immediately recognizable as Alfred looked at it. It was a silver sword in its sheath. Alfred looked at the sword, then returned his gaze to Arthur, who was holding an identical sword. Arthur slowly removed his sword from its cover, drawing out the long, ringing sound of metal on metal.

"Most of your battle techniques will be magic-based, but it will be more convenient if you know how to wield a weapon." Arthur tossed the sheath to the far side of the room. "So we're sparring today." Alfred looked down at the weapon in his hands.

"With actual swords?"

"Relax." Arthur said, as he brought his hand to the side of the blade and swiftly drew the sword across it. He held his hand out to Alfred, showing that it was completely unharmed. "These swords aren't sharpened. It's impossible to hurt yourself." Arthur paused. "Probably."

Alfred drew his sword from it's sheath, and looked at the blade. He was right, the edge was far too dull and rounded to cut anything.

"But I can't fight you with sports..."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Arthur, I was on four sports teams all through school, there's no way that this is a fair fi-"

Without warning, Arthur whipped his sword in a wide arc, knocking Alfred's sword from his hands. The metal weapon skidded across the room, and Alfred looked from the sword to Arthur in disbelief. Arthur wore an amused smile on his face.

"Hopefully I won't slow you down, then."

The sparring that ensued was definitely one-sided, but not in the way Alfred had originally thought. While Alfred was stronger and quick on his feet, Arthur was more agile and far more skilled with a blade. Alfred had never used a sword before, and it showed. Time and time again, Arthur was able to knock the sword from Alfred's hands or strike him with the back of his sword, not strong enough to leave a mark, but strong enough to make a point. Alfred had underestimated him, and he was keen on letting the King know.

Arthur mercilessly swung his blade at Alfred to the point where Alfred wondered if Arthur truly did want to kill him. Alfred blocked to the best of his ability, able to knock the blows away from him, but unable to strike offensively himself. With each strike Alfred had to step backward in order to completely knock Arthur's blade away, and soon, he felt his back hit the wall behind him. Not a moment later, Arthur swiftly knocked Alfred's sword from his grasp, and the King watched as his weapon once again skidded across the room. Arthur brought the tip of his sword to rest at Alfred's throat. Arthur had a proud smirk on his face, and his green eyes were shining in amusement.

"My win again."

Alfred didn't say anything, and simply looked at Arthur. He was amazing. As Alfred held Arthur's gaze for a while, Arthur's smile fell from his face. Suddenly, Arthur tossed his own weapon aside, and just as Alfred was going to question what Arthur was doing, Arthur's hands came to the side of the King's face as he swiftly leaned forward pressing his lips into Alfred's. Alfred had just a moment to be confused before his hands grasped onto Arthur, returning the kiss fervently. The rush alone was incredible. Arthur's lips were so soft, but the movements they were making were deliberate and hungry. At the familiar sensations of Arthur's lips and the collision of their bodies, Alfred realized that the previous night's events had been very far from illusion. He had kissed Arthur, and for some reason, Arthur had kissed him too. And now it was all happening all over again. This time, Arthur seemed especially enthusiastic and Alfred partially felt like he was being devoured. So much so that the two of them ended up lowering to the ground with Alfred's back against the wall. Alfred pulled away briefly to catch his breath, and Arthur used the opportunity to swing his leg over, straddling Alfred's hips. Arthur eagerly leaned forward, loosening Alfred's tie and placing kisses along the King's neck until their lips met again. Alfred let his hands rest on Arthur's waist trying to set a steady rhythm as Arthur's hips rolled into him. All of the pushing and pulling and demanding was enough to make Alfred's heart feel as if it would burst. The warmth of Arthur kissing him so zealously and the feeling of Arthur's hands caressing his body made him feel as if he would never want anything else ever again.

Arthur pulled away slightly, allowing the two of them to catch their breath. Both of their faces were completely flushed, unable to find the words for what had just happened. Arthur's eyes were half-lidded, and the emerald color was shining as he looked at Alfred.

"You have no idea how much I'd been wanting to do that again..." Arthur whispered, tightening his grip on Alfred. Alfred pulled Arthur closer to him and shakily nodded. Alfred didn't say anything but as they tilted their heads and pushed forward, he felt he didn't need to.

Arthur was the first to return to his senses as he gently pulled away from Alfred, gasping heavily. The King, however, was less eager to let the closeness end and as Arthur pulled back, Alfred leaned forward, nuzzling against Arthur's neck and placing kisses just below Arthur's ear. Arthur let out a short moan.

"Dear lord," Arthur mumbled, trying to regain a proper grip on reality. Alfred hummed contentedly against Arthur's skin and tried pulling him closer to him again. Arthur resisted lightly and spoke up.

"We have to set some ground rules," Arthur said, relaxing his grip on the man below him.

"Yeah..?" Alfred said as he leaned up and nipped at Arthur's jaw.

"We...ah. We can't do this unless we're completely alone. No one can find out we're doing this..."

Alfred succeeded in pulling Arthur closer to him, but felt a little irritated at the notion of having to sneak around in order to do this. He let out a shaky breath next to Arthur's ear before speaking.

"I'm King of Spades, I can do what I want."

"This is _serious_ , Alfred!"

Arthur raised his voice angrily, and Alfred pulled away from Arthur to look at the man before him. There was a deep fear in Arthur's eyes that Alfred had never seen before.

"Promise me, Alfred. No one can ever know about this."

Alfred swallowed nervously, but nodded.

"I promise. No one will know."

Arthur let out a relieved sigh and as he relaxed, he leaned in and pressed his forehead against Alfred's, staring into his azure eyes.

"Good."

Alfred could see the unyielding trust in Arthur's eyes and knew immediately that he would never forgive himself if he broke that trust. Alfred brought his hand to the back of Arthur's neck, and as he leaned forward one more time, he was relieved to feel just how eagerly Arthur complied.

After that sparring lesson, a very new relationship unfolded between Arthur and Alfred. Most things remained the same. They still did friendly things; they still ate together every day, would often take walks through different parts of the palace grounds, and spent many of their evenings talking late into the night about no subject in particular. However, what had changed were the moments in which they felt they were completely alone. Behind closed and locked doors in secluded rooms in the palace, they would kiss, hold each other, get a little too worked up, then calm down again with gentle touches and reassuring words before returning to their activities as if nothing had happened. They never put a label on what they were doing or what exactly their relationship had changed to, in no small part because they had no idea themselves. However, there were fleeting moments where they looked into each others' eyes or held each other so endearingly that Alfred truly began to wonder what was happening between them. He cared about Arthur, and he knew that Arthur genuinely cared for him as well. But in what way?

Alfred had dated before. He was very popular all through school, and he had had more than a few girlfriends. He had indeed kissed them as well, but it was always very brief and done mostly because he felt that's what they had expected from him. However, with Arthur he felt very different. It took only the slightest touch or shortest word from Arthur to set his heart racing, and once they started kissing he found himself desperately trying to prolong it for as long as possible. Through these secret meetings, it didn't take long for Alfred to come to the conclusion that Arthur was more experienced than he was. Judging by how eagerly Arthur coaxed his tongue out to play or the times when Arthur would hold Alfred in the position that he wanted him, it wasn't hard to imagine that Arthur had done this several times before. Arthur was almost four years older than Alfred and had held a very attractive position in high society for several years. It wasn't unimaginable to think that Arthur had also had his fair share of encounters. But the thought of who had taught Arthur all of these things all the years before Alfred had even met him irked the King. However it wasn't all bad. Every now and then when they were especially worked up, Arthur would produce moans so obscene that they truly did have to make sure no one was listening. Alfred took it as the best form of compliment. It meant that somehow he was different. And Arthur liked it.

Alfred often felt he was walking a thin line though. Not just with making sure that no one found out what he and Arthur were doing, but the fact that if Arthur truly was as experienced as he appeared to be, Alfred worried that Arthur might eventually become bored with him. His worries were very unnecessary though. In fact, the opposite effect seemed to be happening. At first, Arthur only allowed Alfred to kiss him in their secret garden behind Arthur's carefully constructed barriers. However, as time went on, Arthur began specifically holding their lessons in quiet, unused wings of the castle so that when they inevitably did start kissing, no one would be around to see or hear them. And lately it seemed like Alfred could barely get his feet in the door before Arthur's lips would connect with his ear or his neck or his lips and Alfred would have to scramble to close and lock the door behind him before all of his thoughts failed him completely. Not surprisingly, the lessons started to take place only after they had had their time together, though there were many times that they didn't make it to their lesson material altogether. Although neither one wanted to admit it, they were both getting very attached to each other in a way that they probably shouldn't have.

Eventually, they got careless and let their guard down. Alfred was working desperately on paperwork in his office later that week. It was still early morning, but he had wanted to spend some time with Arthur before Arthur was scheduled to begin his work with the sorcerers for the day. Unfortunately, Arthur only agreed to spend time with Alfred when he had finished his King work. Luckily, on this particular day, he didn't have that much to do, and Alfred managed to sloppily, yet correctly, finish all of his paperwork for the day. Upon finishing, the King produced his gold pocket watch from his palace uniform and looked at the time. He had an hour before Arthur would start his bolted from his office and made his way to Arthur's room. He knocked on the door and waited. No answer. He wasn't in his room. Puzzled, Alfred then dashed through the other wings of the palace and made his way to the rose maze and their secret garden. Arthur wasn't in the garden either. Alfred felt at a loss and just as he was about to give up and head back to his office, he remembered the other place in the palace where Arthur was always likely to be.

Alfred made his way to the East Tower, ascended to the fourth floor, and eventually made it into the palace library. The library was impressive by any standards, and housed tens of thousands of books, mostly about history and magic. The glossy, wooden shelves extended all the way up to the lofty ceilings, and they were arranged in a circular pattern around the room, not unlike a maze. Soft and dusty light poured into the room from the glass ceilings. The room was quiet, but Alfred could tell Arthur was there. He walked slowly and silently through the forest of bookshelves before he found who he was looking for. Standing before a shelf filled with books on magic stood Arthur, completely absorbed in the book he was reading. In fact, he was so engrossed he didn't even notice Alfred coming up behind him. The King leaned forward and rested his chin on Arthur's shoulder. Alfred could feel Arthur tense up at first, but he almost immediately relaxed upon realizing who it was.

"Did you finish your work?" Arthur asked without looking up.

"Of course."

Upon hearing these words, Arthur closed his book and turned around to face Alfred.

"Good." Arthur then paused for a moment, looking at their surroundings. "What are you doing in the _library_?"

"I'm looking for something."

Arthur raised his eyebrows at the thought of Alfred actually having business in the library.

"Oh? What are you looking for?"

"A hard read. It's a little bit boring, but it has amazing eyes."

A thin smile crept across Arthur's face and he stepped closer to the King.

"Well, you found me," Arthur said, letting his voice drop to a whisper at the end of his sentence. Arthur leaned forward and gently kissed Alfred a couple of times before setting his book aside and letting his mouth meet Alfred's in something more definite. Arthur set his hands on Alfred's waist, pulling the King closer to him. Today, Arthur quickly let Alfred take control as the King held Arthur's face where he wanted as he kissed him hungrily. This had become a routine occurrence, yet the two were still very quick to loose themselves. In fact they were so engrossed they almost didn't hear when the library doors opened and closed again with a heavy click. Arthur pushed Alfred away from him and the pair looked at each other in alarm. A set of footsteps began to echo towards them.

"Your Excellency?" Yao's voice echoed through the room and began to get closer to the shelf where the two were standing. Arthur looked visibly distressed and turned to step away from Alfred, but the King caught him by the arm, holding him in place.

"What is it, Yao?" Alfred called out into the library, but his voice came out far more stern than usual. Alfred heard Yao's footsteps stop immediately and shuffle a bit in place.

"A personal letter has arrived for you, Your Excellency."

Arthur restlessly tried to pull free of Alfred's grasp, but the King held him in place as he called back to his Jack.

"Thank you. Just leave it in my office."

Alfred heard Yao hesitate for a moment, but quickly heard the footsteps begin to recede, and soon after the doors of the library slammed closed once more.

Arthur let out a heavy sigh, and the King relaxed his grip on him, realizing that he had been just as tense as Arthur. Arthur seemed angry, but the expression gradually faded as he stepped closer to Alfred. The King's back was against the bookshelf behind him, and Arthur came and rested his shoulder on the shelf next to Alfred's, facing him. Arthur held the King's gaze for a moment. While their faces were close, Alfred knew that they were done for the day. They had almost been caught, one of the main things that Arthur stressed must never happen. So instead they just stood close in the silence of the library for a while.

"You leave for Hearts in the morning."

Arthur was the first to break the silence, and Alfred slowly nodded in response.

"Yeah." Alfred moved his hand towards Arthur's, but stopped, gently catching the hem of Arthur's sleeve instead. He played with the light material between his fingers for a few moments and averted his eyes before speaking again.

"You could come with me."

Arthur raised his eyebrows for a brief second then let a small smile tug at the corners of his face.

"It's only two weeks, Alfred."

Alfred felt heat begin to spread across his face at the realization of how childish he must have appeared. Still, it would be more fun to have Arthur with him, especially with all of the meetings he was slated to attend. He continued looking down, avoiding Arthur's gaze out of embarrassment.

"I know."

Arthur let out a short sigh as his smile faltered.

"I won't go, Alfred."

"...And if I commanded you to?"

"I still wouldn't go."

Alfred sighed and let go of Arthur's sleeve. The King then folded his arms and leaned back against the shelf behind him. Arthur really didn't treat him like a King in any way outside of what was necessary, and Alfred was grateful for that. However, it really worked against him in situations like this. Alfred immediately knew that there was nothing he could say to weaken Arthur's resolve, and he would be going on this trip without him. He shot Arthur a slightly angry look from behind his silver lined glasses.

"You suck."

"You wish."

Alfred blushed and shoved Arthur in the arm at his instructor's remark. Arthur let out a genuine laugh at the King's reaction. Alfred turned on his heels and started out of the library. Arthur collected his books and quickly fell in step behind him, and soon the pair were heading down the hall to the King's study.

The pair reached the royal study, and Alfred found a thin envelope on his desk. Upon walking over to pick it up, he almost immediately recognized the handwriting. Arthur came over to the desk and looked over the Alfred's shoulder at the letter.

"Who is it from?"

"Matt," Alfred said, as he eagerly and happily tore open the envelope. He sat down at his desk and opened the letter.

 _Dear Al,_

 _I imagine things have gotten very busy for you recently. I read in the newspaper that your oath and kingship have been officially finalized. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you, and I'm positive that you'll make a really great King. I know that pictures of the royals usually aren't officially released until the whole royal family has been assembled, but Yao sent me a picture of you in your ceremony garments. And I won't lie, I laughed for a few hours. This is all just so amazing, I can't believe this is really happening. Mom and Dad would be so proud of you._

 _Things are going well for me here too. I'm doing really well in all of my classes and midterms are already next week. I am learning so much and I'm so thankful for you setting this up for me. If you hadn't pushed me like you had, I don't think I ever would have realized that this is what I truly wanted. So, thank you so much, Al._

 _I'd really like to visit you soon. Yao has informed me that I am welcome to visit so long as I don't interfere with your work. Please let me know when you'll be at the palace and when would be a good time for you. I'll work to fit your schedule._

 _I wish you all the best, and hopefully I'll see you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Matthew_

Arthur skimmed the letter from over the King's shoulder.

"What college did Matthew end up attending?"

"Mount Spade University."

Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"That's a very prestigious school, good for him. Did he say what he's studying?"

Alfred set down the letter and thought for a moment.

"I think he said in his last letter that he's studying Spades history and politics."

"Hmm...you could take a leaf out of his book."

Alfred turned to protest at Arthur's latest remark, but as he did, Arthur gently caught the King's lips with his own. It was gentle and lasted only a brief second, but was enough to make the King's heart quicken and mind go completely blank. Arthur pulled back and looked into Alfred's blue, slightly startled eyes.

"I won't be seeing you before you leave in the morning." Arthur brought his hand to the side of Alfred's face and caressed his cheek for a brief second. "Have a safe trip, Alfred." Arthur let his hand fall from Alfred's face and pulled away. As Arthur collected the books he'd brought with him from the library, Alfred's eyes remained locked on Arthur, his heart still beating a little erratically. As Arthur began to head for the door, Alfred called out to him.

"You...you've been working longer shifts with the palace sorcerers...what have you been working on?"

Arthur froze in place just as he was about to leave the room. He turned back to face Alfred with a strange expression. He looked as if he was at war with himself. He was quiet for a moment then he spoke up.

"We're trying to cast an original spell. We're...we're essentially casting several combinations of spells at once to produce a certain effect."

Alfred squinted. He didn't like how cryptic Arthur's response had been.

"What effect? What are you guys trying to do?"

Arthur swallowed and tightened his grip on the books in his hand.

"We're trying to draw out the Queen."

Alfred froze at the statement and felt his heart drop in his chest. Alfred blinked and shook his head in disbelief.

"Draw out the Queen...as in make the Queen appear? Is that even possible?"

Arthur looked unsure and shrugged.

"Maybe. We're not sure. The Spades' heart is what chooses the royals and we have no control over that system. However, with the right combination of spells, we should be able to coax it to speed up the process."

Some silence fell in the King's office. Part of Alfred felt betrayed. Yes, he had never asked Arthur what exactly the sorcerers had been working on, but he never imagined it would be on this. The entire concept of the Queen of Spades made Alfred feel uncomfortable, and Arthur knew that. Yet despite knowing this, not only was Arthur working to bring the Queen forth sooner, he had been keeping it from him. Alfred swallowed and tried to force down the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"That's what you've been working on?"

"Yes." Arthur paused, noticing that Alfred had grown visibly upset. "Alfred, the Queen is the center and channel for all defense magic in Spades. If this threat of war with Clubs proves eminent, we need our Queen to appear."

"Stop."

"Alfred...?"

An edge began to creep into the King's voice.

"Stop. Stop trying to draw out the Queen. You can't do this, you-" Alfred stopped, realizing how desperate his voice was beginning to sound. He looked at Arthur, lowering his voice, pleading. "Promise me, Arthur, you have to stop this."

Arthur looked apologetic for a brief moment, before his expression hardened.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. I know you're less than ecstatic about the Queen appearing. But this is for the sake of Spades. And I won't stop this, even if you ask." Arthur paused and averted his eyes as he placed his hand on the door handle. "Sometimes you have to do things you don't like for the sake of the kingdom you love, Alfred." Without another word on the matter, Arthur then proceeded out the door. "Have a good trip, Alfred."

The door closed loudly behind Arthur, and Alfred heard the footsteps of his instructor disappear down the hall. Alfred stared at the door, letting the idea of a Queen appearing soon sink in. A stranger. An arranged marriage. An end to his time with Arthur. He looked down at his desk and began shoving Matthew's letter back into the envelope to try and distract himself, but upon doing so, he saw that something else had been in the envelope. Alfred reached in and removed the contents. Upon seeing what it was, Alfred smiled a little. Matthew had enclosed some photographs. Alfred flipped through the small stack of pictures Matthew had sent. Most of them were candid shots, probably taken by Matthew's friends. There were pictures of his twin laughing in a library with a small group of people, a few shots of him and the same group on what appeared to be a courtyard, and even a picture of Matthew in the stands of a college sports game, which Alfred knew he usually had no interest in. He really did look happy. Alfred smiled as he finally got to the last picture. Matthew was in what appeared to be his dorm room. He was wearing a lumpy, blue sweatshirt with his college's emblem on it, and was proudly holding up an identical sweatshirt in his hands. Alfred tilted his head and flipped the picture over, hoping for an explanation. There, in Matthew's neat handwriting was a small sentence.

 _Don't worry, I got you one too! I'll give it to you next time I see you._

Alfred smiled and let out a short laugh as he shook his head. Since they were little, Matthew had always found some way of cheering him up when he needed it most. For the first time in several weeks, Alfred desperately missed seeing his brother. He was the only family he still had. Alfred gently folded the letter and placed it, along with the photographs back in the envelope. As soon as he returned from his trip to Hearts and Diamonds, he was going to arrange for Matthew to come visit him. If he was going to be faced with something as upsetting as an arranged, political marriage, he wanted his family to be with him through it.

Alfred left for Hearts early the next morning. As Arthur had predicted, they did not see each other before Alfred left. Alfred knocked on Arthur's door in the morning, hoping to say goodbye and apologize for his behavior the day before, but Arthur was not in his room. He guessed that Arthur probably hadn't slept, and was still working in the dungeons. This wouldn't be the first time this had happened either. So, without any other action, Alfred departed for Hearts without saying goodbye to Arthur. He and Yao rode in the Spades royal vehicle while a small number of guards and attendants followed them on horseback. It was cool in the morning, however as the day went on and they got closer to the Southern region of Cards, It grew warmer. The lull of the vehicle's engine and the warm light pouring through the window was enough to lull the King of Spades into drowsy relaxation and not long after, Alfred slipped into a deep sleep.

Alfred stirred in the murky darkness that surrounded him. There was a comforting warmth that he felt tangled around him, and through the blur of slow movements and unknown sensations, he felt someone caress his face.

" _Alfred, my King..._ "

The voice was distorted and unrecognizable, and Alfred couldn't see anything. Everything felt unclear and clouded as if he were submerged in the depths of the darkest sea. However, the voice rang in such a beautiful tone and was filled with such adoration that he couldn't help but to try and draw closer. Alfred slowly became aware of reassuring touches and the sensation of someone kissing him gently. The unknown voice came again.

" _There is no need to hide from me, my King. I am your Queen, there is no one in Cards who adores you more..._ "

Alfred felt the voice wrapping around him and not a moment after, soon felt everything slipping away. The warmth began to fade from his senses and the darkness began to grow blindingly bright. The voice faded farther into the distance.

" _Alfred...my dear King..._ "

Alfred opened his eyes to find Yao gently shaking his shoulder. Alfred squinted at the harsh sunlight that was still pouring in through the window of the vehicle.

"Your Excellency."

Alfred turned to look at his Jack beside him. Yao had a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry to wake you from your sleep, Your Excellency, but we've just entered the Heart's capital. It won't be much longer now."

Alfred rubbed his eyes and sat up in his seat. The memory of the dream was already beginning to fade from his consciousness. Alfred tried to focus on what he had dreamed about, but the more alert he felt, the more the clarity of the dream slipped from him, and soon, he could barely remember anything about it at all. All that he could remember was the sensation of someone being with him, and the feeling that he had just met someone very important.

Alfred looked out the window. This was his first time leaving Spades, and Hearts truly was far more different than anything he was used to in Spades. The climate was drastically different, for example. While Spades' climate was mild, cloudy and often patched with mist and thin fog, Hearts was far warmer and sunny. Alfred also knew that Hearts had a higher population than Spades, and as they moved deeper into the capital, this was very apparent. There were countless buildings and houses. The streets were filled with people and markets selling many things that Alfred had never seen before. In the distance, the Hearts castle came into view. While the Spades palace was notable for its tall towers, The Hearts palace was closer to the ground by about half. However, it was not small by any means, and covered more land area than the Spades palace. The Heart's castle shone in gold and silver and the country's emblem of a heart could be spotted on several areas of the palace even from far away.

It was only a few more minutes before the Spades royal vehicle pulled up to the front of the Hearts castle. Alfred and Yao got out of the vehicle and began walking up the steps to the lofty and intimidating building. In the past few days, Yao had instructed him of what he was supposed to do. First, he was expected to formally introduce himself to the royal family as the new King of Spades. Then, he would simply request for their assistance in the event of a war with Clubs. It was essentially all formalities, the long part would be the signing of contracts and paperwork later. The King and Jack of Spades made it to the front doors of the castle, which were slowly opened before them. The inside was not too unlike the Spades palace. The architecture and internal decor reflected Hearts culturally, but the layout and loftiness of the palace was very similar to what Alfred was used to. As they stepped inside, a servant wearing a Hearts Castle uniform bowed to them.

"Welcome to Hearts, King of Spades. Welcome, Jack of Spades." The guard looked up at the pair. "Allow me to show you to the throne room. Our royals await you." The guard started walking down the main hall, and the pair of Spades fell in step behind him. It didn't take long for the them to come to a set of large double doors donning the Hearts royal crest. The guard opened the doors and Alfred and Yao stepped into the room. The throne room was large and filled with warm light. Accents of red and banners with images of the Hearts emblem liberally decorated the room. At the end of the room, sitting on their respective thrones were the King and Queen of Hearts. Kiku, who Alfred had met at his coronation ball, looked just as he had a few weeks ago; composed, calm and the very definition of being collected. He looked distracted and distant for a moment, but as he looked over at Alfred and Yao entering the room, a smile spread over his face.

On the other hand, this was the first time Alfred had seen the King of Hearts. Yao had tried describing him to Alfred before, but still he was nothing like how Alfred had pictured. The man sitting upon the King's throne was intimidating to say the least. He was wearing a stern expression, and had an air of boundless control about him. He was far larger than Alfred was, being both tall and very muscular with his pale blonde hair slicked back. The man looked generally angered, but the clarity in his pale blue eyes led Alfred to feel as if he was actually far kinder than his exterior led him to believe.

Alfred and Yao stepped closer to the two thrones and stopped just before the steps that led to the two monarch's chairs. Alfred bowed briefly and spoke the most authoritative voice he could produce.

"Greetings, King and Queen of Hearts. I am the new King of Spades, Alfred Jones."As Alfred looked back up, the King of Hearts Spoke.

"Nice to finally meet you. I am King Ludwig of Hearts. Welcome to the country of Hearts, King Alfred of Spades. " He turned to look at you Yao. "You as well, Jack of Spades." The King of Hearts turned to look at Kiku, who looked generally pleased at the events unfolding before him. Ludwig then cleared his throat and looked back at Alfred.

"What brings you to our country today, King of Spades?"

"While I have only been King for a short while, King Ludwig, I have come to formally request your assistance in the event of a war between Spades and Clubs."

The King of Hearts raised his eyebrows, Alfred now having his full and undivided attention.

"Oh?"

Alfred nodded and continued.

"Historically, Hearts has always been our closest ally. As the new King of Spades, allow me to speak on behalf of my whole country that we desire to maintain this alliance no matter what."

Ludwig thought for a moment and rested his chin on his fist.

"Has Clubs attacked the Spades border recently?"

"Yes, we have reports of Clubs soldiers gathering on our Northern-most borders and have experienced two small attacks on uninhabited areas within the past year."

Ludwig narrowed his eyes in what appeared to be disgust.

"Any Spades casualties?"

Alfred shook his head.

"No reported casualties. However, I do not want to wait for Spades citizens to die before establishing official alliances, King Ludwig."

For the first time, Alfred briefly saw a small smile flash across the King of Hearts' face.

"Well said," Ludwig said as he stood up from where he was sitting on his throne. "As King of Hearts, I offer you Hearts' assistance. The very second that Clubs launches an attack on Spades that produces casualties of Spades citizens, I vow that Hearts will become your ally in a war against Clubs." Ludwig's expression darkened and he looked as if he were remembering something. "This madness with Clubs...it has to stop."

Alfred smiled and ascended the short number of steps towards Ludwig and extended his hand. Ludwig took Alfred's hand and shook it firmly, solidifying their alliance.

Not a moment after, the doors to the throne room opened again. Alfred looked back and saw a smaller man with red hair entering the throne room. He was wearing royal garments and wore the crest of Hearts on the left side of his chest. He was wearing a warm and genuine smile. The man walked past where Yao was standing and made his way to the thrones. Alfred looked back at Ludwig, whose features had softened considerably at the sight of the new man who had entered the room. Ludwig turned and spoke to the man.

"Yes, Feliciano?"

The person named "Feliciano" came and stood right next to where Alfred was currently standing and faced the King of Hearts.

"The sponsors for next weeks' ball are here, Ludwig."

The King of Hearts' face lit up in alarm.

"Why didn't you remind me about that this morning?"

Feliciano's smile never faltered, but Alfred saw a twinge of sadness enter his expression. Ludwig almost immediately calmed down and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Never mind...fine, then. Let's go greet them..."

Feliciano's smile brightened and he came to stand next to Ludwig, latching onto his arm affectionately. Just as Alfred was beginning to question who this man was, Ludwig looked at Alfred.

"My apologies, King Alfred. I will have to cut our meeting a little short for today." Ludwig looked over his shoulder at Kiku. "Queen, will you take care of things from here?" Kiku nodded.

"Of course."

With that, Ludwig and the man named Feliciano began to exit the room, with the smaller of the two clinging onto the King's arm the whole way. Just as they were about to disappear out of the throne room, Feliciano looked over his shoulder at Alfred and shot him a small, friendly smile before the door closed behind them, leaving the two Spades alone with the Queen.

Kiku stood up and walked towards Alfred.

"Well done, King Alfred. Your negotiations could not have gone better."

Alfred smiled at the Queen's compliment.

"Thanks Kiku..." Alfred looked over his shoulder at the closed door. "Who was that?"

The Queen of Hearts followed Alfred's gaze then smiled.

"Oh, that's Feliciano Vargas. He's the current Jack of Hearts." Alfred's eyes widened at the realization that the smiling man had been the Jack. Kiku continued. "He's a little shy around people he doesn't know yet, especially royals. However, he's very friendly. I'm sure he'll introduce himself to you later."

Alfred thought for a moment. The Jack seemed to be very close with the King of Hearts, even closer than Kiku was acting with him. The Queen's hand on his shoulder brought Alfred out of his thoughts.

"Rest easy, King of Spades. The worst is over. Now all we need to do is start the official paperwork. Ludwig will provide his signatures later." Kiku looked past Alfred's shoulder at Yao. "Always nice to see you, Yao. Will you be joining me and King Alfred to sign the papers?"

Yao smiled at his cousin and nodded.

"Yes, I'll be along shortly. I need to give proper instructions to our Spades guards, but then I will join the two of you."

"Very well then." Kiku looked at Alfred and started down the steps. "Let's begin then, shall we?"

Kiku led Alfred to a large study in the main floor of the palace. Once they were both seated at the large, glossy table, Kiku pulled out the papers for finalizing a war alliance.

"I'm sorry that the meeting with my King was so short," Kiku said, flipping through the pages of formal paperwork that he and Alfred had to go through. Alfred shook his head.

"No, it's fine! Really. Actually I'm a little relieved. Your King is...uh." Alfred paused, trying to think of the proper word. Kiku let out a short laugh.

"He _is_ rather intimidating at first."

Alfred nodded, thankful that Kiku understood what he was talking about. Kiku continued.

"He may seem off-putting at first, but he really is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. All of the people of Hearts adore Ludwig because of it."

"Really?"

"Of course. The King of Hearts is always deeply loved by many." Kiku paused and looked up at Alfred. "Do you know the old saying about the Kings of the four countries in Cards?"

Alfred shook his head.

"No, what are they?"

Kiku slid a small stack of papers towards Alfred to sign, then began speaking again.

"The King of Hearts has love. Regardless of who the magic systems choose as King, the King of Hearts will always be greatly loved. Each King in Cards has a trait that they are always graced with. The King of Clubs has luck. The King of Diamonds has wealth. And do you know what the King of Spades always has?"

Alfred was intrigued at the premise, but felt a little afraid to guess, so instead he just shook his head. Kiku smiled and continued.

"The King of Spades has _power_."

Alfred blinked back at the thought that he was chosen by the Spade heart for being powerful. In comparison to the other royals he had met, he didn't even feel close to being on their level. Alfred smiled at Kiku's compliment but shook his head.

"I don't know about that saying then...I certainly don't feel powerful."

Kiku looked down and begin signing a paper as he spoke.

"Spades does have the strongest magic in Cards, there's no denying that. However, I feel like the 'power' that this old saying references may be different than pure strength."

"Like what?"

Kiku looked up and sent Alfred a knowing smile.

"Who knows..."

Alfred tried to think of what other power he could have, but was distracted as Kiku began speaking again.

"But back to my original statement...yes, Ludwig is truly loved by the people, but he's always been very well liked, even before he became King of Hearts."

Alfred looked up from his paper.

"You knew Ludwig before he got the mark of Hearts?"

"Yes." A flash of realization ran across Kiku's face. "Oh, that's right...you don't know how the royals are chosen in Hearts..."

Alfred squinted in confusion at Kiku.

"Are the royals chosen differently here?"

Kiku shook his head.

"Our magic system chooses the royals just like any other country in Cards: at random. However there is a distinct anomaly that occurs only in Hearts. The three royals are always chosen all at once, and they always know each other ahead of time."

Alfred's hand stopped signing the paper in front of him and looked up at Kiku in disbelief.

"No way."

"Yes..." Kiku looked a little distant, then spoke again. "I've known Ludwig and Feliciano my whole life, King Alfred. We went to the same schools all through childhood and once we graduated, we started a small engineering company together. We were the best of friends, and I had truly never been happier in my entire life. We...we had only had our company up for about a year before we all received our marks of Hearts."

"Wait...so you were friends with Ludwig before you were crowned? Didn't your new royal titles make things..." Alfred paused and tried to grasp the word he was looking for. "...weird?"

Kiku thought for a moment then shook his head.

"On the contrary...I was actually quite pleased. There was no doubt in my mind that I cared for Ludwig. The marriage seemed like a natural step to me." Kiku stopped talking and a sad smile covered his normally collected face. "But...even then, I knew that this wasn't how things were supposed to be."

Alfred blinked in confusion at Kiku's change in demeanor.

"What do you mean?"

Kiku let out a small sigh before continuing.

"I had known for several years that Ludwig loved Feli...I mean, our Jack. We were all so close, but I knew that those two held feelings for one another. So, shortly after our marriage, I told Ludwig that our marriage was purely political and that if he wanted to pursue a relationship with Feliciano, I would wholeheartedly support it."

Alfred couldn't believe what he was hearing. It went against everything that he had learned about when studying the roles of the royals.

"So..." Alfred started to speak, but Kiku cut him off.

"The magic systems of Cards select the King and Queen based on their political and power-based compatibility. And while it _is_ convenient when the King and Queen do fall in love, it certainly is not always the case." Kiku looked back up at Alfred and smiled. "However, that is the relationship that the people of Cards must believe exists between us. So, when we make public appearances, Ludwig and I do act as if we are in love with each other. However, behind castle walls, his heart belongs to Feliciano."

Alfred swallowed and tried to take everything in. He looked at Kiku's saddened face and asked a question he was a little scared to hear the answer of.

"Aren't you lonely?"

Kiku paused and thought for a moment before his expression returned to it's normal state.

"I suppose the role of a royal is lonely regardless. However, no, not particularly. Ludwig urged me to take a mistress if I wanted, but I really have no interest in that proposal." Kiku returned his attention to the paper in front of him and signed it. "So to answer your question King Alfred, no, I'm not lonely. I get to work with my dearest friends for the rest of my life." He looked up and let a genuine smile slip through at Alfred. "And they're finally so happy. Their happiness is mine, King Alfred. And that's all there is to it."

"I...I didn't even know that the royals were allowed to take side relationships."

Kiku shrugged at Alfred's statement.

"Well, it's not encouraged, but if you're a royal, who's really going to stop you? It happens all of the time, actually. Just so long as it's not public and doesn't cause any problems, it's probably fine." Kiku paused and looked at Alfred out of the corner of his eye. "Do you think you'll end up having a side relationship, King Alfred?"

Alfred's heart dropped. All of his worries surrounding his Queen came rushing back to him. Once his Queen appeared, what would become of him and Arthur? And what _was_ happening between him and Arthur? Would Arthur even be interested in being in an actual relationship with him? Was _he_ interested in a relationship with Arthur? Alfred shook his head and began signing another paper.

"I'm not sure...I haven't thought about it. I hadn't even heard of royals having side relationships. Arthu...uh. My instructor, never mentioned it."

"I can see why Arthur would never mention it." Alfred looked up at Kiku, shocked and confused. Then Kiku blinked in realization. "You mean you weren't aware?" Alfred shook his head, unsure of where exactly this was going. Kiku set his papers aside and looked at Alfred. "The previous King of Spades took several mistresses, King Alfred. We're talking dozens of them. And Arthur...well, he _loathed_ the King because of it. Arthur thought very highly of his grandmother, and was furious with how little the King of Spades payed mind to her. Arthur said it was improper for the most powerful man in Spades to not pay any heed to his grandmother, who unconditionally loved the King..." Kiku paused before continuing. "I think...Arthur believes that the King should be devoted to the Queen exclusively. He believes that the magic systems choose the best match." Kiku looked back down at his papers. "So I feel like it's only natural that he would try and avoid teaching you any other ideology."

Alfred sat in silence as this new information sunk in. Arthur had often spoken of his grandmother, the previous Queen, but he had said very little about the last King of Spades. He now knew why. But why hadn't he told him about it? Then Alfred looked up, a more urgent question pressing on his mind.

"Wait. You know Arthur?"

Kiku nodded

"Yes of course. Whenever the previous King and Queen would come here for business, Arthur would often come with them. We haven't spoken in a few years, but we were actually quite-"

Suddenly, Yao burst into the room. His face was pale and he was completely out of breath. Kiku and Alfred looked up in surprise. Kiku smiled at his cousin's entrance.

"Yao! I was beginning to wonder if you'd abandoned your King to work alone."

Yao turned and frantically looked at Alfred, eyes filled with alarm. Alfred froze. Something was very wrong.

"Yao...what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Yao swallowed and tried to speak in a steady voice.

"Our sorcerers...just outside of our capital...they're receiving the signal."

Alfred stared at Yao in confusion for a moment, then froze. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Yao spoke again, but Alfred didn't want to hear it. He desperately didn't want this to be happening, but Yao's voice rang loud in his ears.

"Your Excellency...they're receiving the royal signal."

* * *

My chapters keep getting longer...

-There were lots of make-out sessions in this chapter... *w* cover thine eyes, children!

-Look at all of that sexual tension in the sword fight *fangirl-laughs maniacally*

-Fun Fact: "Gareth" was the name of a knight from the round table. Get it? Arthur? And the knights of the...oh forget it.

-We heard from good 'ol Mattie at college. Oh, bros... :3

-We got some Gerita.

-What's going to happen to our heroes?

-Thanks for reading The Last Spade! I hope you liked chapter four, and please look forward to the next chapter! ^^


	5. Chapter 5: Royal Signal

A prolonged silence fell over the room. Alfred's heart began to race, and his thoughts seemed to tumble aimlessly. The royal signal. The Queen of Spades has appeared. Kiku looked from Alfred to Yao with an equally alarmed look on his face. He then broke the silence.

"King Alfred...you can't stay here, you have to go."

Alfred looked at Kiku, the reality of the situation causing an anxious feeling to churn inside of him. Kiku spoke up once more.

"King Alfred, you have to go greet your Queen."

Alfred frantically looked around the room, desperate to find something to distract him.

"...but I haven't finished the paperwork for our alliance."

Kiku stood up and stepped closer to Alfred.

"Never mind about your paperwork, King Alfred. This is a very important moment in your reign. I'll finish the paperwork and have it sent to your castle." Kiku turned to Yao, still in the doorway. "Yao, have your guards prepare the vehicle. Our meeting is officially over."

Yao nodded and dashed from the room, leaving Alfred and the Queen of Hearts alone again. Alfred slouched over in his chair and brought his hands to his face. Apparently whatever Arthur and the palace sorcerers had been working on worked. Kiku gently rested his hand on Alfred's shoulder. His voice came in a calming tone.

"King Alfred, this is nothing to despair over. You and your Queen...you could truly come to love each other. There is no reason why that couldn't happen."

Alfred thought for a moment. Kiku was right. There really was no reason why he wouldn't end up loving the Queen of Spades. But why was his mind filled with thoughts of Arthur right now? And why did he feel like his heart was in so much pain? Why did he feel guilty? Why couldn't he get Arthur Kirkland out of his head? As all of these questions came to a conclusive point, Alfred felt a dark realization taking root in the back of his mind. Alfred's voice came out in a low whisper, speaking more to himself than to Kiku.

"...what if I'm in love with somebody else?"

Kiku's eyes widened, and as Alfred looked up at him, he saw a saddened expression take over the Queen of Hearts' face. Kiku opened his mouth to say something, but just then, Yao re-entered the room.

"The vehicle and guards are ready for you, Your Excellency. Come."

Alfred looked up at Yao, then turned to Kiku. The Queen of Heart's expression hadn't changed, but he gently gave Alfred's shoulder a reassuring pat.

"You'd best be off, King Alfred." As Alfred slowly stood up, Kiku let his hand fall from the King's shoulder and spoke again. "Know that as Queen of Hearts, I will always be here for you should you need someone to hear your thoughts."

Alfred sent Kiku the best smile he could and nodded.

"Thanks."

Yao led Alfred back to the Hearts castle's main entrance and they got inside the vehicle. The events before him seemed to move in an unfocused blur as he descended the main steps of the Hearts palace and entered his royal vehicle. As they began to pull away, Alfred saw Kiku standing on the main steps that led to the palace doors. Kiku waved his hand at the Spade's procession as they pulled away, and Alfred smiled. Kiku was a good man. But while the Queen of Hearts didn't outright admit it, he was unhappy with the arrangements at his castle. Would this mean that soon, he would be in a similar situation as Kiku? The Hearts castle began to fade from view, and soon, they were on their way back to Spades.

The ride felt agonizingly drawn out. Alfred definitely wasn't dozing off on this ride back, and he seemed to grow increasingly restless as they sped back towards his country. They arrived back in Spades in almost half the time it took to get to Hearts, but by then, the sun was rapidly setting in a orange tinted sky. When the castle came into view, Alfred saw a sight that he wasn't fully prepared for. Standing on the palace steps, was Arthur. He was still donning his sorcerer's cloak and wore an exhausted expression. He looked as if he hadn't slept. As the vehicle pulled up to the palace steps, Yao practically sprung from his seat and rushed up the steps to Arthur. Alfred fell in step behind Yao, far less eager, and frankly, feeling a little terrified. As soon as they reached the top of the steps, Yao spoke.

"Have we pinpointed the Queen's location?"

Arthur shook his head and looked over Yao's shoulder to Alfred. Arthur's face was covered with concern and his features looked exhausted. He quickly returned his eyes to Yao and spoke in a rushed tone.

"We have pinpointed the general location, but we may have a problem...we are receiving a lot of problems with this signal." Arthur gestured towards the castle hurriedly. "Come. We have everything set up in the dungeons."

Yao and Alfred hurriedly followed Arthur into the castle and down to the dungeons. As they arrived at the bottom floor, there were several sorcerers wandering about, casting spells and working with strange instruments. Arthur led them to a large room where several sorcerers were working. However, when they saw Alfred and Yao enter the room, they all bowed and left the room, leaving the royals alone with Arthur. He led them to the center of the room where a large table had a map spread out on it. As they got close to the table, Alfred saw that this particular map was embedded in the table and had a number of glowing locations on it. The location for the Spades castle was gleaming brilliantly, with two beams of light radiating from it. However, just outside the capital where the Spades castle was, there was a thin, but bright, glowing beam of light. Arthur spoke up.

"That is the royal signal we are receiving. However we are picking up some problems." Arthur gestured to a couple of magic instruments that had been left on the table. "Not just from precise measurement spells, but just by looking at it, you'll be able to see it too. Take a look."

Alfred and Yao stared at the glowing beam of light outside of the capital. At first, nothing seemed wrong, but then they saw the beam of light flicker, ever so slightly. Yao's eyes widened, and Alfred quickly spoke in response.

"What does that mean?"

Arthur looked dumbfounded, and began flipping through a nearby magic text.

"I'm not sure. It could mean a number of things. The Queen is supposed to be graced with far more magic than that. There is no reason for the signal to flicker in such a manner." Arthur briefly pressed his fingers to his temple, at a loss. "It could be any number of things. It could be that the Queen is weakened. It could be that the Queen is dying. It could even be someone releasing magic on such a high level that our sensors are picking it up as a royal signal. I honestly have no idea. But there is something very wrong with the Queen if that is indeed their signal."

Alfred looked at Arthur and then to the map, unsure of how he should be feeling.

Yao brought his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. He mumbled to himself.

"Maybe..."

Alfred and Arthur looked at the Jack of Spades, picking up on his quiet remark. Arthur spoke up.

"Do you know a reason why the signal could be this faint, Yao?"

Yao narrowed his eyes and watched as the glowing beam of light flickered once more.

"Possibly..." Yao turned to Arthur and Alfred. "For the time being, we should go verify the situation. Where exactly is the signal coming from?"

Arthur set his book aside.

"That's another problem in of itself. The signal is coming from Eavesworth. It's not that far from here, but the population is so high, it is going to be very difficult to find the signal. Its surrounded by five universities and has our largest trade port, there's no way to easily find the signal in a place like that." Arthur gestured to Alfred. "It was easy finding Alfred, he was from such a small village that it was easy to search its entirety in one day, but Eavesworth...it could easily take a week before we find them."

Yao narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Well, we won't find anything if we don't start looking." Yao looked at Arthur. "We need to find the Queen. We leave tomorrow morning. We shall search as long as it takes."

Arthur had an unidentifiable expression on his face, but nodded.

"Of course, Jack."

Alfred spoke up, feeling very left out of this decision process.

"What about me? Should I go too?"

Yao turned to the King and after careful consideration, spoke.  
"I think it's best if you stay at the castle, Your Excellency. No need to worry, Arthur and I will be back within the week."

Alfred opened his mouth to protest, but Yao turned his attention back to Arthur.

"Make all preparations. We leave tomorrow morning, Arthur."

"Yes, Jack." Arthur's voice was strong, but tired.

Yao turned and left the chamber, leaving the King alone with Arthur. Alfred's gaze lingered on the thin beam of light, still flickering every so often.

"Hey."

Alfred looked up as he heard Arthur's voice. Arthur had a small smile on his face despite how tired he looked. He seemed a little more disheveled than usual, but he still maintained his air of composure. Alfred's mind spun back to his revelation earlier in the day. His own voice echoed throughout his head as if he had heard it long ago.

" _What if I'm in love with some one else..."_

Alfred blushed at the re-emergence of this thought and averted his gaze back to the map, feeling heat spread across his face.

"Hey." He responded to Arthur's greeting, however after thinking about how he was in love with Arthur, he was having difficulty finding his words. How did he even act around Arthur normally? As he searched for proper words, Arthur spoke up again.

"How was Hearts?"

Alfred glanced up at Arthur and smiled quickly before averting his eyes again..

"Good."

Silence fell over the room again. Thoughts of the Queen of Spades came rushing back to Alfred. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but Alfred swiftly cut him off, not wanting to hear anything else regarding the new royal.

"I'm going to uh..." Alfred gestured to the door and continued. "I'm going to turn in."

Arthur nodded

"Alright. Get some rest."

Alfred swiftly left the room and closed the door behind him. Arthur had seemed equally distracted. As proof, Alfred opened his hand revealing a small glowing device. It was the same compass-like instrument that Arthur had used to locate him, and Arthur hadn't even noticed that the King had slipped it off the table right in front of him. Alfred tightened his grip on the device and placed it in his jacket's pocket.

"' _Stay in the castle_ ' my ass."

Alfred waited until he heard both Arthur and Yao retreat to their rooms for the evening. It was just past midnight, but Alfred had spent the past few hours preparing. He had packed a small bag with enough food for a couple of days, and a few changes of clothes. He had no intention of waiting at the castle while Yao and Arthur went to seek out the Queen, and instead intended to find the royal himself, giving him the upper hand on the situation. He figured that if he found the Queen before any of the palace staff did, then maybe they would be more likely to negotiate anything regarding their future together.

Alfred opened the door to his bedroom and looked out. The hall was dim and empty. Even most of the servants had retired by this time. Alfred slowly and quietly slipped out of into the hallway and made his way through the castle. He actually didn't encounter anyone until he reached the main entryway to the palace. As he expected, there were a handful of guards standing by at the doors. This, however, was exactly what Alfred had planned on. Earlier in the evening, after Arthur had retired from the dungeons, Alfred had returned to look up a certain spell. It had taken him a while to find it, and it would have been leagues easier and faster if he had asked Arthur for help, but he didn't want to see Arthur, nor did he want to risk his plans being found out.

He had never tried a time spell before, but given his circumstances, there was no other way he could leave the castle unnoticed. Alfred removed the spade-shaped pocket watch from his jacket, and focused on the face of the clock. He closed his eyes, and slowly mumbled the words to the spell. It was a short incantation, however, he immediately began to feel a burning feeling in his core and over his heart. Suddenly, a flash of bright light emanated from the watch and quickly faded away, almost like the flash of a camera. Alfred looked at the watch. The hands had stopped moving. Alfred looked around. Everything in his surroundings was a pale, de-saturated version of it's former self, and nothing appeared to be moving. Alfred continued to feel the burning feeling over his heart. Just to be sure, Alfred removed a coin from his pocket and let go. The coin, hovered where he had let it go, and while it was not completely still, it was still enough for Alfred to know that the spell had worked for the most part.

Alfred quickly started towards the doors with the unmoving guards. His movements were labored and heavy. Time spells were very taxing, and Alfred was gradually beginning to realize this. The burning feeling over his heart grew more intense as more time passed, and Alfred begin to notice that things would occasionally flicker back into color before returning to their less-vibrant state. Alfred cursed under his breath as he struggled towards the door. The pain in his heart grew more intense, and just as he thought he wouldn't be able to hold the spell any longer, he opened the castle door, closed it behind him, and disappeared into the night outside, releasing the spell as he did so. Alfred fell to the ground, catching his breath and looked around. Everything had returned to its original color, and the rustling of the leaves and songs of the birds indicated that time had indeed started moving again.

"I guess that's a spell that needs a lot of practice," Alfred gasped as he was slowly beginning to recover. A little surprised that he was able to cast the spell somewhat properly, Alfred let out a short laugh. However he was soon on his feet again, moving in the shadows of the castle's inner gardens.

It didn't take long for Alfred to slip out one of the Castle's back entrance after one more short use of the time spell. Once he was off of the castle's main grounds, he went to the stables that were located on the outer perimeter of the castle. He and Arthur had ridden horses around the castle once, and it wasn't too hard to locate the building. All of the horse keeping staff had long since retired for the night, and before anyone was the wiser, Alfred saddled up a horse, and disappeared into the Spades night, shrouded in mist and darkness.

Arthur's description was indeed correct. Eavesworth was several hours East of the Spades capital, and by the time Alfred arrived, the sun was just beginning to peek over the ocean's distant horizon. The night had been cool, but upon reaching the coastal port, the mist that shrouded Spades slowly began to fade and dissipate for the day. This in turn revealed how vast the city of Eavesworth was. From where Alfred was standing on a high pass overlooking the city, and as the mist faded more and more, he knew that his work was definitely cut out for him. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a short sigh. He still felt exhausted from the time spell that he had preformed just hours before, but with the realization that he didn't have that long before Yao and the rest of the palace staff realized that he was gone, Alfred started for the town with a new found energy. He had to find the Queen. And if he was going to do it before Yao and Arthur, he would need to be quick. Alfred looked at the compass shaped device that was glowing faintly. The signal was still weak. Alfred summoned all of the energy he could muster and began his search for the new Queen of Spades.

Alfred walked through the streets of the foreign city. After leaving a generous tip with a stable boy to watch his horse for the day, Alfred had begun searching the town. A few hours had passed since, but he still wasn't having any luck. It was now very bright outside, and the paths were packed with people on the broad, cobblestone streets. While it had been announced that the King of Spades had been found, no one knew what he looked like yet, so he had no problems moving among the people without commotion. Alfred would occasionally look down at the glowing compass in his hand, and look for any changes, but he hadn't had any luck so far. He shoved the compass back into the bottom of his bag and looked up. The sun was already very high in the sky and it was approaching noon. He felt dread churn inside him. Arthur and Yao were most certainly up by now and knew that he was gone. They were probably even on their way to Eavesworth at this very moment. Alfred swallowed. He needed to hurry and find the Queen before they found him. As Alfred continued to walk down the street, he eventually reached a high path that walked parallel to the pier.

Exhausted, Alfred sat on the ledge and looked out at the sea. Fishermen with their boats were beginning to come in to the pier for lunch. Alfred watched and let out a sigh. He was beginning to feel a little hopeless. He hadn't found any leads, and he felt frustrated. He almost wished that he had someone to at least help him look for the Queen. Alfred looked out on the horizon then let his gaze turn back towards land. He squinted as he saw a collection of tall, tower-like buildings on the other side of the pier. Curious, Alfred focused on one of the larger buildings. On the roof, there was an emblem that he felt he had seen before. Then Alfred gasped.

"Mount Spade University..." Alfred mumbled in shock. Matthew's college. With everything that he was dealing with, it had completely slipped Alfred's mind where Matthew's college was located. At the thought of his brother, Alfred sprung to his feet.

"Matthew will know what to do," Alfred said to himself. Matthew was majoring in Spades based studies. Maybe he would know a way to help him find the Queen. Feeling hopeful, Alfred dashed towards the distant buildings, his exhaustion seeming to dissipate with every step.

Mount Spade University was one of the most prestigious colleges in Spades. It had a high reputation for producing elite scholars and sorcerers alike and the shining campus really gave off that impression. Once Alfred reached the campus, He came to the realization that he had no idea where he would be able to find his brother. He figured he would check the dorms first, but he didn't even know which dorm Matthew was staying in, let alone his room number. The King wracked his brain, trying to remember Matthew's address which was written on the outside of the envelope his brother had sent him, but to no avail. Alfred wandered into one of the College's grassy courtyards, hoping that at the very least he may have a chance of bumping into Matthew. Just then, he saw a sign leading the the campus's library. ' _The Library, of course,_ ' Alfred thought to himself. Just as he began to walk towards the building, a voice called out to him.

"Matthew?"

Alfred spun around to see a girl holding a small stack of books with a bag swung over her shoulders. She had her brown hair cut just above her shoulders, and dark blue eyes. When Alfred looked at her, her eyes lit up in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Wrong person." She sputtered out quickly. She turned to walk away, but Alfred immediately stopped her, grabbing her shoulder.

"Wait! Hold on!" Alfred quickly stepped closer to the girl and she turned around again. "You know Matthew?" The girl paused, staring at Alfred's face.

"Yes, I do...are you his..."

"Brother. His twin, actually." Alfred replied quickly. The girls face lit up in recognition and nodded.

"Oh...I didn't know he had a brother. But that makes a lot of sense." The girl let out a short laugh. "I'm Leah. Matthew in I are in the same politics class."

"Oh. I see," Alfred said, relieved to have found someone who knew Matthew, but a little sad that he hadn't told anyone that he had a brother. "I'm actually looking for him. Do you know where he is?" The girl immediately frowned.

"He must be in his dorm. Apparently he wasn't feeling well, and he didn't even go to class this morning." She softly lifted up the books in her hand. "I'm on my way back from our class, and he wasn't there. Rob, who lives across from Matthew told me he was sick, so..."

Alfred's mind raced. Even when he was sick back in school, he would always go to class. Alfred never understood it, but Matthew genuinely seemed to enjoy learning. Alfred looked back at the girl in front of him.

"Do you know which dorm he lives in?"

After receiving Matthews dorm building from the girl named Leah, Alfred took off in the direction of the tall housing complex. He found the building after a brisk walk across campus. After looking at a board in the lobby, he quickly found which room was Matthew's and made his way to the eighth floor. Matthew's dorm room was the last door on the left and Alfred darted down the hall before reaching the room. Alfred knocked loudly on the door and waited. The door was covered in notes with small drawings and smiley faces in different hand writing. Alfred smiled. He didn't need to worry about shy Matthew having friends at least. Matthew had always been very quiet and often kept to himself. Alfred was glad to see that he was making friends. Suddenly, he heard some footsteps inside the room and shortly after the door opened.

"Yes...?"

Appearing in a black hoodie and pajama pants stood the boy with curly blonde hair and glasses. He looked slightly disheveled, as if he had just woken up, and he looked tired. He stared at Alfred for a few seconds, squinted, then his face lit up in the largest smile he could possibly produce.

"Al!" Matthew gasped. Alfred smiled at the face he hadn't seen for just over two months.

"Hey Matt," Alfred said, letting out a relieved laugh. He almost fell backwards as his brother quickly crashed into him in a large hug. Alfred patted Matthew on the back and pulled away to look at his only family member. Matthew was positively beaming.

"What are you doing here, Al?" Matthew asked happily. Alfred's face fell a little, remembering the reason why he was in Eavesworth. He looked at his twin with seriousness beginning to re-emerge in his eyes.

"I need your help, Matt."

Matthew's smile fell a little bit, instantly picking up on his twin's emotions.

"Of course. Absolutely, Al. I'll help you."

Alfred let out a relieved sigh at his brother's unconditional response to help him. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Matthew quickly stepped aside in the doorway. "Come on inside, Al. Let's talk."

Alfred stepped into the dorm room, and Matthew closed the door behind him. The room was a small standard dorm. There was one wooden bed shoved up against the wall, dressers, a small sink, and a desk, all of which were very neat and in order. There were books all throughout the room, but they were in proper organized stacks. The only thing that was a little messy was Matthew's bed, which was unmade and it appeared as if he had just gotten up. Alfred turned around back to face his brother.

"That's right. I bumped into one of your classmates...are you doing okay Matthew? They said you didn't go to class. Are you sick?" Matthew's face lit up then a re-assuring smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just..." Matthew scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I pulled two all nighters this past week, and when I woke up this morning, I was feeling really sleepy, so I slept in to try and recover some sleep. Nothing so dramatic." A smile spread back across his face. "But I'm glad I didn't go to class. Otherwise you may not have been able to find me!" Alfred smiled at his brother's positivity and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Good."

Matthew came to sit beside Alfred, some seriousness entering his face.

"What are you doing in Eavesworth, Alfred? Is everything okay?"

Alfred told Matthew everything. He told him about how the Queen had yet to be found, how they had started receiving the signal while he was in Hearts, and how he had slipped out of the castle to try and be the first to find the Queen. Matthew listened intently and enthusiastically, and once Alfred finished, Matthew quickly spoke up.

"Wait. So you actually used a time spell?"

"Yeah."

"Wow..." Matthew sat and thought for a moment. "Why didn't you just wait to go with the Jack and his assistant to look for the Queen?"

Alfred swallowed. While he had told him everything regarding his search for the Queen, he hadn't told him anything about his feelings for Arthur and how that had motivated his actions. Alfred nervously looked away from his brother.

"I don't know, Matt. I just...I can't feel happy about having an arranged marriage. I thought that if I met with the Queen first, in confidence, I may be able to reason that our marriage could be just political."

Matthew raised his eyebrows, in surprise, but the expression quickly softened as he put his arm around his brother.

"I understand, Al. I wouldn't like that either." Alfred looked back up at Matthew who was wearing a reassuring smile. "I'll help you find the Queen, Al. Just tell me what I need to do." Alfred smiled.

"Thanks, Matt. I really owe you one." Alfred paused. "I've been looking all day, but I don't know where else to look." Matthew stood up and walked over to his desk, removing a particularly thick book on Spades history from a small stack.

"Well, just by looking at historical records, we know that the Queen always has some experience with magic, even if it's just a little bit." Matthew looked up from his book. "There are a handful of magic schools in Eavesworth. We even have a magic department at this university." Alfred immediately felt better at the wave of information Matthew had just provided him. He stood up excited. Matthew closed his book and grabbed another one. "Since we're here, let's check this school's magic department." Matthew skimmed through the book before he found what he was looking for. "Do you have a Clockscope with you?"

Alfred frowned in confusion.

"A Clockscope?"

Matthew flipped his book around, revealing an index of strange instruments with pictures.

"It measures large amounts of new magical output. They often use it to find new royals." Alfred looked at the images in the book before recognizing one of the instruments. The compass. Alfred jumped from where he was standing and started rustling through his bag.

"Yeah, I have one, Matt! It's just here in th-"

Alfred froze, staring at what his hand had latched onto. He slowly removed the Clockscope from his bag. It was radiating light, and as he removed it, it began producing a faint ticking sound. He turned towards Matthew, who appeared equally stunned. Alfred moved slightly closer to Matthew, and the ticking sound grew louder.

Alfred's thoughts raced frantically. _Matthew? The Queen is Matthew?_ Alfred stared at his brother, who seemed shocked. Slowly Alfred spoke.

"Hey, Matt...uh. Did you by any chance pass out this morning?"

Matthew's face illuminated in alarm.

"Well...yes. I mean, no, Al. It was just...exhaustion. I'm sure..." Matthew's sentence fell off at the end. Alfred stared at the glowing instrument in his hand. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Matthew clearly was well informed about Spades. He had indeed practiced magic once, but just for a day. He had lost consciousness, just like Alfred had when he received his mark. And the reaction of the Clockscope made it impossible to come to any other conclusion.

"Matt, I think..." Alfred swallowed, unable to fully grasp what he was about to say. "I think you may be the Queen of Spades."

Matthew's eyes widened and the book he was holding slipped from his grasp. Some silence passed between them before Matthew's voice came out in a whisper.

"This has to be some kind of mistake, Al..." Matthew backed away from his brother, and leaned on the desk behind him, worry clouding his face. Alfred shoved the Clockscope back into his bag and walked back over to Matthew.

"It's fine, Matt." Alfred said in a clumsy attempt to calm his brother. He thought for a moment. "For the time being, let's check for a mark. We may not find one...maybe the Clockscope is busted." Matthew looked back up at his brother and nodded, the worry beginning to dissipate a little. Matthew rolled up his sleeves and began examining his arms. Alfred watched as well, while his thoughts continued to race. _What if Matthew was the Queen? What would happen?_

"We wouldn't have to get married." Matthew's cautious words pulled Alfred from his thoughts. Matthew looked up at his brother before pushing his sleeves up a little farther and examining the new area. "There have only been two times in Spades history where the King and Queen positions were related by blood. And in both of those instances, the marriage tradition was excused."

"Really?" Hope rushed into the King's voice at these words. Matthew nodded.

When it became apparent that there were no marks on his arms, Matthew stood up, removing the lumpy, black hoodie he had on. He looked down at his chest and stomach, both of which had no mark. He turned around.

"Do you see anything, Al?"

Alfred scanned Matthew as he rotated, looking for anything that resembled the Queen's mark. Just when he was about to shake his head, he froze. He stood up, his hands grabbing onto the back of Matthew's shoulders as he stared at his back. In the lowest portion of his twin's back, was something. It was almost hidden by the high top of Matthew's pajama pants, but it was definitely there. As he got a closer look, he immediately recognized it.

"I see it," Alfred said quietly. He felt Matthew jump a little, and Alfred could feel his shoulders tense up.

It was a small dark Spade. Matthew had the royal mark. Alfred's mind began to tumble a million miles an hour, but then stopped. The mark was not as elaborate as Arthur had described it would be. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was a design in the middle. A triangle? Alfred narrowed his eyes.

"It almost looks like a capital A in the middle of it."

Matthew spun around quickly, his eyes wide.

"There's an A on the mark?"

"Yeah, that's what it looks like to me. Why?"

Without answering, Matthew rushed over to the mirror that was by his sink and craned his neck to look at the mark on his lower back. His eyes widened.

"This isn't the Queen's mark, Al."

Alfred's frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean it isn't the Queen's mark? What other mark could it be? All of the other roles have been filled."

Matthew turned to look at his brother, Seriousness taking over his facial expressions.

"That's not true, Al. There's one more role in the royal deck." Matthew paused before continuing. "The Ace."

Alfred stared at his brother, still confused. Matthew walked back over to where he was standing, grabbing another book on his way.

"The Ace? What do you mean?" Alfred desperately tried to make sense of Matthew's statement.

Matthew began eagerly flipping through the book, searching for something.

"The Ace is the only role that isn't filled every royal term. It's been three terms since that last Spades Ace." Matthew stopped on a page and stared at it. "The public doesn't know much about what the Ace role does, and their faces are never revealed to the public. All we do know is that their mark is characterized with the letter A." Matthew closed his book, looking sad. "I wish I knew more...but I don't. I don't even know what I'm expected to do..."

"Hey, it's okay Matt. You won't be expected to assume your duties right away. They'll help train you. I'm sure of it." Matthew looked back up at his brother, looking a little less worried.

"Really?"

"Really. They did the same thing for me. And I'll be there to help you too. There's nothing to worry about." Alfred blinked at the realization that this was the first time that he had far more information than Matthew. He smiled at his timid brother who mirrored the gesture.

"Thank you, Al."

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Al stood up.

"Well for the time being, lets head back to the castle. I'm sure Yao will know what to do."

The pair rode back towards the castle, leaving Eavesworth behind. The ride was long, but it seemed to go much faster now that Alfred had someone to talk to. By the time they reached the castle, the sun was low in the sky, just beginning to set. Upon reaching the main gates, several guards rushed to open the gates before the King. Quite a few of them had assembled, And Alfred groaned at the thought of how the whole castle had been put on high alert since his disappearance. Alfred tried his best to assume an air of confidence and power though. Matthew had seemed increasingly nervous the closer they got to the castle, and being cautious himself wouldn't make Matthew feel any better. The twins dismounted and walked towards the doors of the main palace. A pair of guards opened the gates before them, and they stepped into the main hall.

Alfred only made it approximately three steps inside the door before he heard his name.

"Alfred!" The King immediately recognized the voice and turned to see a visibly angry Arthur storming towards him.

"Where the hell have you been, Alfred?" Arthur's voice came out in a low roar and was positively dripping with venom. Alfred had never seen Arthur looking so furious and the King physically flinched backwards at the onslaught of his instructor's rage. Arthur stopped directly in front of Alfred before he continued speaking. "You think this is just some kind of fucking joke where you can waltz off into Spades without telling anyone?" Alfred tried his best to not be taken aback at how angry Arthur looked. He swallowed and tried to remain composed.

"So...you didn't go to Eavesworth?"

"No, you bloody nit. That fucking time spell you did was so powerful that it completely destroyed the calibrations on all of our magic instruments! I had to spend the whole damn day fixing them!" Arthur grabbed Alfred's collar and pulled it towards him as his voice dropped off into a lethal whisper. "So you better tell me where the hell you went and why, or so help me Alfred, I will fucking murder you right here and now."

Alfred scowled at the level of hatred Arthur was spewing at him. He was just about to retort, when he heard another voice coming towards him.

"Now, now, Arthur. I know you're upset, but I can't exactly ignore that threat you just made to our King of Spades."

Alfred looked up to see Yao approaching him from down the hall. When he reached them, Yao bowed slightly.

"Welcome back, Your Excellency. We were all very worried about you." His voice too had a darkened edge to it, however he was far more polite and composed than Arthur.

Alfred shoved Arthur's hand off of his collar and took a step back, smoothing his shirt's collar and sending Arthur an angry glare. Then Yao continued.

"Our magic systems weren't operating normally for most of the day, so we were unable to track you or any power outputs. You'll have to forgive us, but we were just very worried about you." He paused and glimpsed at the King's instructor who was still visibly fuming. "Arthur especially was very concerned."

Alfred watched as Arthur's eyebrow twitched downwards angrily. He certainly didn't have a good way of showing 'concern'.

"I'm sorry," Alfred said lowly. He truly hadn't realized that the time spell would have this effect.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Alfred." Arthur's voice was still positively livid. Yao shot a menacing look at Arthur before returning his gaze to the King.

"He has a point, Your Excellency. Please at least tell us where you went."

Alfred's face darkened in resolve before speaking.

"It wasn't the Queen."

Confusion took over both Arthur and Yao's face. Alfred turned back towards the door. Matthew had been standing in the doorway this whole time, watching the scene unfold. As his gaze met his brother's, he took it as a signal to step forward. Arthur and Yao had yet to realize he was there until the boy came to stand beside the King. Yao blinked.

"Matthew? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Yao said, instantly recognizing the King's twin whom he had been in occasional communication with. Alfred spoke again.

"It wasn't the Queen's signal we picked up on." He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "It was the Ace's."

Both Arthur and Yao's faces lit up in shock. After a moment of silence, Yao spoke.

"Matthew is the Ace of Spades?"

At Yao's statement, Alfred removed the Clockscope from his bag. Arthur's expression hardened again at the realization that the King had taken it. Alfred took the instrument and held it close to Matthew. The device released light once more and began that familiar ticking sound. Yao's eyes widened a little.

"There hasn't been an Ace of Spades in decades..." Yao mumbled, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. Arthur looked mildly surprised as he eyed Matthew.

"That does explain why the signal wasn't as strong as the Queen's..." Arthur squinted. "I hadn't even considered that the Ace's role could be filled this term."

Satisfied, Alfred put the device back in the bag. Yao looked up at Alfred again before speaking.

"And you confirmed the mark?"

Alfred nodded before letting a broad smile come to his face.

"Sure did! It's on his ass."

Matthew's face flushed before he slapped his brother's hand off his shoulder.

" _Excuse you_ , it's _above_ my ass!"

Yao cleared his throat.

"In any case, things are going to get busy around here again. Your Excellency," Yao turned to face Alfred. "While I would normally condone your leaving the palace grounds unattended, you did successfully confirm the mark and bring us our new royal. And all within one day, too. Well done." Yao looked genuinely pleased before turning to Matthew. "Welcome to the palace, Ace of Spades. We have much to discuss." Yao turned on his heel and turned back down the hall. "Come. For now, lets have some dinner. I'm sure we are all hungry from this particular day."

The small group fell in step behind Yao towards the dining room. Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who's expression was still irritated. Arthur glanced at Alfred out of the corner of his eye before turning his gaze back to the hall in front of them. Then, without looking at Alfred, he held out his hand and gestured to Alfred. The King immediately knew what Arthur wanted, and he fished the Clockscope out of his bag and handed it towards his instructor. Arthur took the compass from Alfred without a word and shoved it into his own pocket before walking a little ahead of Alfred. Alfred let out a small sigh. This was going to be a long night.

Once they were all situated with food in front of them in the dining room, Alfred turned to Yao and spoke up.

"So what exactly are the Ace's duties?"

Yao turned his attention from the food in front of him and looked at the twins.

"The Ace is a very special role. It is technically the role under me, however the Ace reports directly to the King." Yao swallowed briefly before continuing. "The Ace role is not filled every royal term because an Ace is only chosen when the Spades System deems in necessary." He paused. "Usually for times of distress of war." At this, Matthew spoke up.

"But what am I supposed to do exactly?"

"The Ace's duties remain secret to most of the public because the Ace's tasks are all predicated on flying under the radar. In times of no war, the Ace's duties include going out among the people, and collecting information on how the royals are being perceived. They are also responsible for collecting information on how the other countries view Spades, as well as any perceived plots against us. Think of yourself as...well. A spy, for lack of a better word."

"That's perfect for you, Matt," Alfred said. Matthew had always been good at keeping a low profile in addition to being a good listener. He recalled how when they were young, Alfred hated playing hide and seek with Matthew because no matter how well he looked, he would never find him. Eventually the pair had stopped playing that game all together.

Matthew seemed relieved that his duties weren't as intimidating as he had imagined. However, Arthur then spoke up.

"In times of war, however, the Ace's duties change very drastically. In times of war, the Ace becomes the highest guard to the King and is responsible for taking out any immediate threats." Arthur looked up at Matthew, his eyes very serious. "In war, you play the role of an assassin."

Matthew and Alfred's eyes widened at this. The King turned frantically to Yao.

"Is that true Yao?"

The Jack nodded.

"Yes. It rarely comes to that. However it is true. You're essentially the highest guard to the King of Spades. The Ace maintains a magic ability that allows them to instantly reap the soul of anyone who threatens the King."

Matthew's face grew worried at this statement, and Yao immediately spoke up.

"However, out of all of the Aces in Spade history, they very rarely get the opportunity to use such power."

Matthew swallowed, looking a little pensive.

"But...with such a strong ability like that, isn't that dangerous, I mean...what if I use my power on accident?"

Alfred turned to Yao, and watched as his features softened into a smile.

"There's no need to worry about that, Ace. There is an incantation that you need to learn, as well as your weapon which you need to be holding in order to use your ability. In addition, you can only use your ability if the King permits it. It is nearly impossible to reap someone's soul accidentally."

Matthew's features softened at this explanation. Alfred took in the new information as well before making a realization.

"Wait. So will Matt have to stay here in the castle?" The King leaned forward, listening intently for Yao's answer.

Yao thought for a moment, then continued.

"Not necessarily. While Clubs is exerting some pressure on us from the North, we are not at war right now. I think Matthew can approach his duties via our first explanation; collecting information and blending in among the people in Eavesworth while still attending school. However, I do advise that you stay at the castle on weekends and days off from school. I also think it would be best for you to attend any and all royal events and meetings." Yao turned to face Alfred. "Of course, with the Kings permission, of course." Alfred turned to Matthew.

"What do you think, Matt? Does that work for you?" Matthew smiled and nodded, pleased with how well things worked out. Alfred was also happy. His only family would be with him with whatever he faced in the future as King. Alfred's smile fell a little though, at the realization that the Queen had still yet to appear. His problems had remained as present as ever. He looked over at Arthur from over the rim of his glasses. His expression had softened considerably since his angry outburst, and now he seemed emotionally neutral.

Over the course of dinner, they discussed many things concerning Matthew. It was decided that Matthew would have a short session of training in the morning before heading back to Eavesworth for his evening classes. The small group stayed discussing Matthew as well as Alfred's general schedule for the rest of the week. Alfred noticed that suddenly, Arthur stood up from the table and disappeared down the hall leading to the kitchen. Alfred frowned slightly, thinking that Arthur was retiring for the night, however Arthur returned only a few minutes later with a teacup in his hand. He looked over at Yao who was mid sentence with Alfred.

"There's new tea in the kitchen if you want any, Jack."

Yao immediately perked up at this suggestion. He had a love of the beverage almost as much as Arthur and he quickly stood up.

"Yes, I think I'll have some. Just a moment, Your Excellency, I'll be right back" The Jack briefly turned to the new Ace of Spades. "Would you like some, Ace? I can show you where the kitchen is." Matthew nodded before standing up and following Yao out of the room. As the two disappeared down the hall, silence fell over the room. Arthur walked back towards the table with his tea in hand. However, instead of going back to where he had been sitting for dinner, he took the empty seat beside Alfred. Arthur hadn't said much during dinner, and Alfred supposed that this was because he was still upset. The two sat in silence while Arthur sipped at his tea. Feeling full from dinner and tired from the events of the day, Alfred was too exhausted to be too concerned with the silence between them. The King absentmindedly put his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his fist. He immediately felt a little sleepy, and almost didn't realize when Arthur set his teacup down. Alfred glanced over at Arthur only to be surprised when he felt a pair of warm lips gently connect with the corner of his mouth. As Arthur pulled his face away and his eyes slid open again, Alfred found himself lost in the abyss of the deep green color. Arthur's hand gently came to the side of Alfred's face and softly guided the King's face to mirror his own, allowing the next kiss to connect more properly. Readily forgetting the anger that Arthur had showed him earlier, Alfred closed his eyes, allowing Arthur to kiss him how he wanted. Something was different. Arthur kissed Alfred gently, and softly, letting his lips linger before tenderly pressing his lips to Alfred's again. He pulled away just slightly, opening his eyes to look at Alfred. Alfred stared back into Arthur's eyes, his heart pounding warmly in his chest.

"I thought you were mad at me," Alfred said softly. He watched as Arthur's eyes began to slide closed again. Alfred eyes began to close as well before he heard Arthur's whispered response.

"I am."

However, the kiss that punctuated that statement seemed to imply anything but anger. When Arthur pulled away his eyes stayed locked with Alfred's. Alfred was almost shocked at the way Arthur was looking at him. He was gazing at Alfred as if he was looking at something precious. As if he loved him. Alfred's pulse quickened at the thought of his feelings for Arthur being reciprocated, however, no later had he had this thought, Arthur's hand slipped from the King's face and he returned his attention to his tea as if nothing had happened. Just when Alfred was going to ask Arthur what that had just been, he heard the voices of Matthew and Yao heading back towards them from the hall. They re-entered the room, tea in hand and rejoined the pair at the table, completely unaware of what had just transpired between them.

Alfred sat on the edge of his bed, talking leisurely to his brother. Shortly after the group had finished their tea, everyone retired for the night. The Ace's quarters had been unused for decades, and even with the staff scurrying to clean it up, it wouldn't be ready in time for Matthew to stay their tonight. Yao proposed that Matthew could stay in one of the guest bedrooms in the West tower, however Alfred insisted that Matthew stay in the King's chambers with him. With all of the heavy business talk, he was looking forward to catching up with his brother about his time at college.

And Matthew did indeed share many stories about his time at college. The classes he was taking, the professors, his group of friends, the girl named Leah who constantly asked for help with her assignments, parties, exams, even a few dates (although Matthew claimed that they had never led anywhere). It all seemed so exciting to Alfred, and even if it was just for a little bit, he felt slightly envious. University was a foreign experience that sounded very fun, yet Alfred knew he would never be able to participate in it. Regardless, when he saw Matthew smiling so genuinely, he felt as though he was enjoying it enough for the both of them. Alfred's laugh died down a little as he fell deeper into thought. Matthew immediately noticed.

"You okay, Al?"

"Yeah, I just..." Alfred thought of how much Matthew's college experience would be limited now that he was the Ace. "I'm sorry. All of this Ace stuff probably wasn't in your plan, huh?" Matthew frowned.

"The Systems chose me to be Ace, Alfred. While I still don't understand why, the Spades System chose me. You had nothing to do with it."

"But still-"

Matthew held up his hand, cutting his brother's protest short.

"Al...do you even know why I chose to major in Spades history and politics?"

Alfred shrugged.

"I don't know...I just assumed you were masochistic."

Matthew stifled a laugh in response, and a small smile crept across the King's face.

"No, Al. I wanted to help you." Alfred's eyes lit up in surprise before his twin continued. "Even in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. That was part of the reason why I was so hesitant to go to university. But once you got the King's mark and gave me the opportunity to go, I knew that no matter what, I wanted to help you too." Matthew paused for a moment before continuing. "Regardless of my receiving of the Ace's mark, I was planning on going into service at the castle after graduation." Matthew shrugged ans smiled sheepishly. "So the only thing that's changed is that I've skipped a few steps, Al."

Alfred smiled what Matthew had just told him. He was so happy that he now had some family who would be with him through his role as King. He punched his twin's arm affectionately.

"Thanks, dude." Matthew smiled at his brother's familiar gesture. Then his smile fell a little.

"So what _has_ been bothering you, Al? Is it just this search for the Queen?"

Alfred's face darkened at the re-emergence of his current least-favorite topic. He nodded lightly.

"It's this missing Queen, the threats with Clubs, and it's just...I don't know Matt. I just can't get on board with the idea of going through with an arranged marriage right now."

Matthew nodded reassuringly before he paused.

"Is it because you're in love with Arthur?"

Alfred was mid-breath before he began choking on his own lungs in shock at what had just escaped Matthew's mouth. As he coughed and tried to recover, he shot a panicked look at his brother.

"Wh...what?" Alfred exhaled, trying to dismiss his brother's comment. Matthew, however, didn't take the hint.

"Arthur. Your instructor. Are you in love with him?" Matthew asked bluntly this time so that he wouldn't be misheard. Alfred scrambled to shove his hand over his twin's mouth and then he briefly listened to make sure he couldn't hear anyone in the hallway. Matthew shoved his brother's hand away from his mouth, annoyed.

"You're being ridiculous, Al."

Alfred shot a desperate questioning look at Matthew, but still tried to feign innocence.

"Where did you even get that idea?" Alfred's question flew out in a rushed whisper. Matthew shrugged.

"Call it a lucky guess, a feeling, twin's intuition, whatever you want to call it, I'm right, aren't I?"

Alfred remained silent for a while, before leaning over and placing his face in his hands to attempt to hide his embarrassment. Matthew let out a laugh at his brother's embarrassed display.

"Aw, you dork," Matthew said, half-genuine, half-teasing. Alfred groaned.

"Shut it, Matt."

Matthew let out another short laugh before his mind returned to the King's predicament.

"I do see your problem though, Al." Alfred looked up from his hands at his brother, who continued. "Have you told him how you feel?"

Alfred rolled his eyes at the generic-sounding advice Matthew had just fed him.

"No, but..."

"This is just my opinion, but I think it would be better if you told him how you feel before the Queen shows up." Alfred looked up before Matthew continued with his statement. "I mean, if it goes well, you'll have something established before the Queen arrives. Which I feel would go much better than trying to establish a relationship after you're already married." Matthew looked at Alfred with a serious look in his eyes. "The Queen is going to appear Al. Whether you want them to or not it's going to happen. The only thing you can do is try to move forward before the Queen's appearance."

Alfred nodded. Matthew did have a point. Alfred leaned backwards on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. He was right. Although he was still a little hesitant to admit it to himself, he did love Arthur in some way. And the situation between them would only grow more strained the more time went on. Alfred swallowed nervously as he made a decision. He would tell him

Matthew smiled at his brother.

"I'm sure everything will work out just fine, Al."

Alfred nodded and let out a heavy sigh.

"I hope so, Matt."

When Alfred woke up in the morning, Matthew wasn't in the room. He remembered them talking late into the night before the twins dozed off and fell asleep. Alfred looked around his room. Soft light was pouring in through the windows. Had Matthew left already? Just as Alfred got out of bed and started walking towards his door, the knob twisted and opened. Standing in the doorway, was his twin. He looked startled at first before he smiled again.

"Good morning, Al."

"Morning," Alfred said, taking in his twin's new appearance. Matthew was wearing a collared shirt with a vest, both of which were adorned with the Spades symbol. His dark pants just barely hid the strange shoes he was wearing and despite their bulky, heavy looking appearance, didn't make any noise as he stepped into the King's room. Matthew looked down and smoothed his collar.

"They fitted me for my palace uniform this morning," Matthew said, explaining his new appearance. Alfred nodded before starting towards his dresser to grab his own clothes.

"They look nice," Alfred said absentmindedly as he fished around in the drawer for his own uniform. Matthew spoke up.

"After breakfast, we are supposed to report to the dungeons for my training."

Alfred paused as he pulled his shirt from the previous day off. He called to Matthew across the room.

"Wait. Where's Arthur?" The King was unused to anyone but Arthur telling him his morning schedule. Matthew shrugged.

"I haven't seen him all day. I think he may be setting things up in the dungeon."

"Oh." The King's reply was short, as he thought about his resolution. He was going to confess to Arthur. But when? Alfred quickly got dressed in his own uniform before the twins left the room, heading to the start of Matthew's training.

Alfred and Matthew ate alone in the dining hall before heading down the hall to the dungeons. On their way, they bumped into Yao. The Jack of Spades stopped immediately and bowed.

"Good morning, Your Excellency," he paused and turned to Matthew, "...Ace." Alfred blinked in confusion.

"Are you going to be joining us for Matt's training too?"

Yao nodded.

"It will be more of a briefing than a training. After all, Sir Matthew needs to get back to his studies. However, yes, I was planning on overseeing it."

Yao quickly fell in step behind Alfred and Matthew as the small group made their way down to the dungeon. Upon reaching the bottom floor, they saw Arthur. He was wearing his sorcerer's cloak and was absentmindedly thumbing through a magic text. However when he heard footsteps approaching him, he immediately set his book aside and walked towards the trio.

"Good morning." Arthur's greeting appeared to aimed at no one in particular. His eyes briefly met Alfred's before flitting away. It was so quick that Alfred wondered if he had imagined it. Arthur turned to Matthew.

"I have everything set up in one of the practice rooms. Come." Arthur turned on his heel down one of the dungeon's corridors and eventually arrived at one of the stone practice rooms. Alfred noted that it was not the same room that Arthur practiced magic with him in, however the interior of the room was identical. As the small group entered the room, Arthur walked over to a small box propped against the wall. He held it with both hands before walking back towards the group. The box was old, and was decorated with the symbol of Spades with several metal ornaments. It easily looked as if it had been around for centuries. Arthur held the box out towards Matthew.

"You're the only one who can open it, Ace."

Matthew stared at the box looking a little concerned. He hesitantly reached his hands towards the box, before cautiously touching it. The Spades decorating the box briefly released a soft light before the box popped open a small crack. Matthew carefully opened the lid on its hinges and stared at the contents. Inside the box, was a strange metal object on a bed of velvet fabric. It looked like a silver rod, however it was just smaller than the length of Matthew's forearm. The shiny metal was almost reflective, and both ends were adorned with a small sapphire. Alfred looked over his twin's shoulder at the object and piped up.

"What is that?"

Yao answered without removing his eyes from the box.

"This is the Ace's weapon. It hasn't been in use for almost two centuries..." Yao looked at Matthew. "Take it, Ace."

Matthew carefully took the strange pole out of the box and held it in his hands.

"So...how does it work?" Matthew said as he cautiously turned the weapon over in his hands. Arthur walked over to the wall and set the box down. He spoke up on his way back.

"Most of the Ace's power should be based on instinct. Your weapon should react the same way." Arthur came to stand next to Alfred. "For example..."

Arthur removed a sheathed knife from his pocked and removed the blade from it's cover. Just as Alfred was about to ask what he was doing, he watched as the small pole Matthew was holding rapidly extended in both directions with a long, curved blade of a scythe extending from the high end. The transition was so quick, that Matthew had to step backwards to keep his balance. He seemed shocked as he stared at new form of the weapon in his hands. Yao, standing behind him, nodded with an impressed look on his face. Alfred stared agape at the large scythe, a weapon that he felt was very uncharacteristic of the timid brother who was holding it. Arthur smiled.

"Good. Now let's try this..." Arthur moved the open blade a mere inch closer to Alfred.

No one clearly saw what had happened next. There was no sound, no clear image, all that Alfred was aware of next was the scene of Matthew, holding the cold, silver scythe to the throat of Arthur. Alfred looked at his brother, alarmed. Matthew's usual bright and sunny eyes were dark, and filled with violent intent. It was as if for a mere moment, Matthew was no longer Matthew. Arthur even appeared a little taken aback. He lazily dropped the knife in his hand and the moment it hit the ground, Matthew snapped back to his usual self. He looked at the scythe in his hands, then where it rested near Arthur's throat and horror took over his face. He quickly pulled the blade away.

"God, Arthur. I'm so sorry! I didn't-I mean...I-" Arthur held up a hand, trying to stop the Ace's apology.

"There's nothing to apologize for. That's exactly what I wanted to happen." Arthur leaned over and collected the knife before quickly shoving it back into it's cover. Alfred looked almost as equally as disturbed as Matthew.

"What just happened?" Alfred asked, looking from Arthur to Yao. The Jack stepped forward from his place behind Matthew and spoke up.

"The Ace is a role that maintains a duty of both a guard and assassin. So long as the Ace is holding their weapon, a number of low level spells are automatically cast, including some speed and invisibility spells. If someone were to attack the King, the Ace would be the first to stop it." Yao's eyes flitted to the sheathed knife as Arthur put it back in his pocket. "Arthur did not actually attack King Alfred. However, if he had, I imagine that we would probably be mourning the loss of Arthur's soul right about now."

Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who looked unfazed at Yao's statement. The King then looked back to his brother who appeared distraught.

"I don't think I can do this..."Matthew said, looking at the weapon in his hands. Alfred was about to say something, but then Arthur spoke up.

"You want Alfred to stay safe, don't you?"

Matthew nodded eagerly without hesitation.

"Yes, of course! But-"

"That's all you're doing. You're keeping Alfred safe."

Matthew's eyes widened a little at this, as he looked at Arthur. Arthur continued speaking.

"Your duties will very rarely come to this, Matthew. We just want you to know the magnitude of your position. You have a lot of power. Just know who you're using it for."

After a few more explanations, Matthew's training ended for the day. He still had a lot he needed to learn, such as complex invisibility spells and magic that would help him collect information, but for now, he simply returned to Eavesworth. Matthew seemed too nervous to take his weapon with him, so for now he left his weapon behind with the promise of returning on the weekend to practice.

Alfred saw him off. They couldn't exactly send Matthew back to Eavesworth in a royal vehicle, since the Ace is supposed to stay hidden. Instead they arranged for a smaller, normal vehicle to take him to the outskirts of Eavesworth, and Matthew would walk back from there. Alfred hugged his brother before they parted ways with an informal 'See you'. They would be seeing each other again in just a few days, and they no longer worried about when they would ever see each other again. As the vehicle pulled away, Alfred thought about all of the events that had unfolded since his meeting in Hearts. With resolve, he turned to face his next obstacle. He needed to find Arthur.

Alfred had to finish a small stack of work before he would be free for the day. It took far longer than he had wanted, and by the time he was done with everything, dusk had fallen. Immediately upon finishing his work, he went to find Arthur. He assumed that he would still be working in the dungeons. Alfred rushed back to the dungeon and looked briefly in the practice rooms before making his way to Arthur's magic study. He opened the door, expecting to see Arthur, but his eyes fell on the man named Gareth instead. He was sitting on Arthur's desk, looking through a heavy looking book. He looked up and immediately rose to his feet.

"Your Excellency."

Alfred's eye twitched in irritation at the man in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Alfred's question came out much harsher than he had originally intended. He almost watched Gareth jump a little at his words.

"Sometimes Arthur lets me borrow some of his books..."

"Huh." Alfred narrowed his eyes, not trying to hide his displeasure. "Where is Arthur?"

The man shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He was here until about an hour or so ago. He said he was going to clear his head."

 _Clear his head._

At this, Alfred instantly knew where Arthur was, and left the room without another word to Gareth.

Upon entering the hidden garden Alfred immediately saw Arthur situated on the edge of the fountain. Usually, Arthur would come here with a book, but today he was just sitting, lost in thought as he stared at the glowing crystals surrounding the garden. He didn't even notice someone had entered until the King stopped just a few paces in front of him.

Arthur looked up at Alfred and didn't say anything. His face was blank and his expression unreadable.

"Hey," Alfred said, breaking the strange silence between them. Arthur's expression darkened for a brief moment before he smiled weakly. He looked as if he was at war with himself.

"Hello, Alfred."

Alfred took the opportunity to sit beside Arthur. His instructor's eyes remained on him as he sat down. The silence that Alfred usually felt comfortable in made him feel antsy. He was actually going to do it. He turned to face Arthur to find that Arthur was already facing him. Arthur looked like he wanted to say something, however when several moments passed without any exchange of words, Alfred decided to try and fill in the blanks. Alfred leaned towards Arthur's face and Arthur closed his eyes. The King slowly let his mouth meet Arthur's just like they had so many times before. They only kissed once before Arthur pulled back, turning away from Alfred with his eyes averted down.

"What's wrong?" Alfred looked at Arthur's profile, which appeared dark and his mind appeared to be racing.

"I think we should stop, Alfred."

Alfred tensed up at Arthur's comment. He let out a small nervous laugh, trying to dismiss the dark feeling that was beginning to grow in his stomach.

"Yeah, I mean...I guess it is pretty late, we should-" Arthur shook his head, firmly, cutting off the King's sentence.

"No. Not just today. Everything, Alfred. We should stop all of this."

Silence fell over the pair once again. Alfred smiled nervously, hoping he was misreading the situation. However when Arthur turned his gaze back towards the King, he could see just how serious he was. Alfred's heart began to pound frantically, and his smile quickly fell from his face. The King shook his head just a little.

"Why?" Alfred's single question came out sounding much more disappointed than he had anticipated, but he didn't even care at this point. He leaned closer. "Why, Arthur?"

Alfred's question went unanswered as Arthur's stony expression refused to change. Alfred spoke up, feeling that this may be his last chance.

"Arthur, I...uh. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I've never really said this up until now, but...I think..." Alfred desperately and clumsily stumbled over his words, and a flicker of fear ran through Arthur's eyes.

"Arthur, I'm in l-"

" _Alfred._ "

Arthur's voice was cold and stern as he cut off the King this final time. Arthur looked at Alfred and spoke in a flat, even tone.

"I don't love you, Alfred."

Alfred swore that he felt physical pain. He felt his heart twist intensely, and he felt as though the air may have been knocked from his lungs. His mind raced aimlessly, but was unable to come up with any tangible thoughts. He only stared back at Arthur's solemn expression, his green eyes completely devoid of any affection. Arthur spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. You must have misunderstood at some point." Arthur gestured between them. "This...this was just for fun. There was never supposed to be anything real here." Arthur averted his eyes downwards before spitting out one final sentence. "I can't- I don't love you, Alfred."

The King sat unmoving for a moment as the words soaked in. He couldn't place exactly what he was feeling. Embarrassment? Disappointment? Sadness? All of his feelings felt so murky and foreign. When he came to his senses, he realized that right now, he just didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be near Arthur at all. The King stood up and a single word slipped from his mouth.

"Alright."

Arthur turned back towards Alfred quickly as the King began to start towards the door. He stood up.

"Alfred, wait!" Arthur's voice called across the garden, and Alfred thought he heard footsteps behind him, but regardless hurried towards the door. Just as he put his hand on the door handle, he, against his will, quickly glanced back at Arthur out of the corner of his eye.

Alfred froze. Arthur was only a few steps away from the fountain, and something looked very wrong. He was slightly hunched over, and his eyes were screwed shut in pain. His hands clawed at the fabric over his heart, and his breathing sounded labored.

"Arthur?" Alfred called his instructor's name, worry completely overriding any other feelings in his mind. Arthur hunched over more and let out some desperate coughs as he continued to gasp for air.

"Arthur?" Alfred began to make his way back towards him, and watched in horror as the color began to drain from his already pale face. Suddenly Arthur's legs gave out underneath him as he fell towards the ground. Alfred rushed forward, catching the man just before his head hit the ground.

"Arthur!" Alfred called his instructor's name as the man lay in his arms, unmoving. Arthur's breathing seemed to stop for a brief moment and his body fell limp. Just as panic began to completely take over Alfred's mind, he watched as Arthur's breathing resumed and his chest began to rise and fall normally. Worried and confused, he stared at his unconscious instructor before something caught his eye. Over Arthur's heart, a soft blue light briefly emanated from under his shirt before slowly fading away. Alfred watched in confusion before he felt his own heartbeat stop.

 _It couldn't be._

Alfred quickly laid Arthur across his lap while his fingers shakily undid the buttons of his instructor's shirt. He only needed to undo three buttons before he saw it. Directly over Arthur's heart was a large elaborate mark with dark, swirling patterns. The mark's patterns branched over much of the left side of his chest, and in in the middle of the mark was the emblem. The dark, unmistakable emblem of a spade.

Alfred almost laughed at the sickening irony of his situation. Arthur had just flatly turned him down, and yet here he was. After almost a year since the previous royals had died, the last royal had finally been found. Arthur had just received the Queen's mark.

Arthur is the last Spade.

* * *

...

-It's about time isn't it? :3

-We got the triumphant re-appearance of good ol' Mattie

-We have an Ace now!

-I thought it would be funny if Matt's royal mark was a tramp stamp, and I laughed so much I actually made it a thing, oops

-This chapter focused a lot on our lovable twins (We'll have a lot more Alfred/Arthur next chapter!)

-Our dear Queen has finally arrived! (God save him)

-What's going to become of our heroes? Will their feelings ever meet?

Thank you for reading The Last Spade! Sorry it took so long to update, school really took it's toll this past quarter ^^ Hopefully I'll have lots of chapters coming to you in these summer months :3 Also thank you for all of your kind reviews! If you liked this chapter please feel free to leave a review! :3


	6. Chapter 6: Genuine

Alfred lifted Arthur's unconscious body from the ground and carried him in from the gardens. Upon reaching the castle, he was immediately intercepted by Yao, who was pacing nervously in the main hall. When Yao saw the King enter, he rushed over to Alfred.

"Your Excellency! Thank God, our sorcerers have just told me they are receiving a royal signal. It is most certainly the Queen's this time, we need to hurry and pinpoint..." Yao's voice dropped off as he took notice of the unconscious Arthur in Alfred's hands. The Jack's face looked like he was just about to inquire about what had happened to Arthur, when his eyes fell on the large and apparent mark that was still visible from under Arthur's partially opened shirt. Yao's eyes widened and he stared up at Alfred in utter disbelief. The King's expression was complicated, but he mumbled out a single phrase.

"I already know, Yao."

Slowly, the pair ascended to the Kings quarter in silence. Alfred gently laid Arthur in his bed upon reaching the King's chambers. Alfred cautiously covered him, trying to make sure the new Queen was comfortable. He remembered how much everything hurt after receiving his own mark, and he wanted to make sure Arthur's pain would be limited as much as possible. Alfred pulled up a chair to the bedside and sat down as he stared at Arthur. The Queen's expression had softened considerably and now it simply appeared as if he was in a deep sleep. Even after loosing consciousness and falling to the ground, he didn't appear disheveled at all. The color had returned to his face, and his breathing had returned to the soft puffs of air that Alfred was familiar with.

" _I can't...I don't love you, Alfred."_

Alfred winced at the memory. Arthur's rejection was still fresh in the King's mind and repeated continuously. Alfred's feelings felt muddled and complex. The man before him, the one who had quickly become his dearest friend, the one who had willingly stayed by his side throughout his training for kingship, the one who smiled at him so genuinely whenever he saw him, the one who had held him and kissed him so warmly countless times, had turned him down flatly before he had even had the chance to properly confess his feelings. And what were his feelings? Was it a mistake to assume his feelings were love when he knew so little of love himself? And what happens from here? Alfred furrowed his brow a little at the disappointed feeling that had yet to dissipate from his senses, and simply looked at Arthur sleeping peacefully in his bed. Yao stood next to Alfred deep in thought, every now and then shaking his head in disbelief. Then the Jack spoke.

"I had never dreamed that Arthur would receive the Queen's mark." He paused. "I mean, Arthur studied directly under the previous Queen, so it's not unbelievable, but still..." He pulled his gaze from Arthur and turned towards Alfred. "And you were with him when he received his mark?" Alfred nodded but didn't move his gaze from Arthur. Yao stared at the King for a moment before speaking.

"But isn't this a good thing, Your Excellency?"

Alfred turned to face Yao, confused by the Jack's statement. Yao continued.

"Recently I began to get the feeling that you were very worried about the Queen's arrival. It's not uncommon for the King or Queen to exhibit anxiety about a political marriage to someone they don't know." Alfred nodded and returned his gaze to Arthur as Yao continued speaking. "But that is not a problem anymore, Your Excellency. Arthur is far from a stranger, and you two are indeed close...aren't you the least bit relived?"

Yao was right. And if this had happened just a few hours earlier, Alfred truly would have been elated. This would have been the best situation possible. But now, Alfred almost found himself wishing that the Queen had indeed been a stranger.

 _"I don't love you, Alfred."_

Alfred let out a small sigh, but forced a smile as he looked at Yao.

"I guess you're right, Yao."

The Jack smiled briefly before both he and Alfred's attention was drawn to the door. In the doorway, a small crowd of servants and palace staff had gathered, staring into the room quietly. Many of them looked shocked, while some were smiling at the scene before them. It wasn't hard to imagine the reason why. Someone employed by the castle had become a royal, something that had never before happened in Spades history. If this was how the castle staff was reacting, the pair could only image what would come with the official royal announcement. Yao turned to Alfred.

"I'll take care of that, Your Excellency. I'll make an announcement to the palace staff, guards and sorcerers to alert them that the Queen has been found and to make all necessary preparations." As the Jack stepped away from Alfred, he spoke again. "For now, just stay with the Queen, Your Excellency." Yao made his way towards the door, and the small crowd began to back away. The Jack closed the doors firmly behind him, and Alfred was left alone in his room with the Queen of Spades.

In the silence of the King's chamber, Alfred's thoughts began to get the best of him. Arthur had wanted the King's role. And while the Queen's role was only marginally less powerful, he could still harbor resentment. And the marriage. Regardless of how Arthur felt, a marriage between the pair was now eminent. Will Arthur be distraught when he awakens? Alfred removed his glasses and ran his hand over his face, letting out a labored sigh. He couldn't remember that last time he had been this tense. His carefree days of slacking off in class and spending time with his brother...even his lessons with Arthur. They all seemed like a distant and far off dream. What he wouldn't give to, just for a moment, have those carefree days back. The King's thoughts tumbled rapidly and aimlessly for hours. He didn't even notice when the night was slowly beginning to welcome a new morning.

At the first signs of dawn, Arthur began to stir. He frowned a little in his sleep and creases formed on his forehead as his eyes clamped shut harder just before his eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing the shining green color. His gaze instinctively fell on Alfred. He held Alfred's gaze in a sleep-ridden state before he blinked, slowly beginning to become more awake.

"Alfred," Arthur sleepily mumbled the King's name, sounding just slightly confused despite his content-sounding tone. Alfred sucked in a quick breath of air as an anxious feeling began to return to his senses.

Arthur then slowly sat up, but almost immediately brought his hand to his forehead, wincing in pain. He murmured a curse under his breath at the pain he felt running throughout his body. Alfred quickly and gently helped Arthur to sit up a little. The King knew now that the pain was a side effect of being suddenly and rapidly endowed with magic in a physical body, but this was something Arthur was unaware of. He tried to reassure Arthur in his tired state.

"The pain'll go away soon, Arthur. Just bear with it for now."

Arthur nodded but still looked pained and confused.

"What happened, Alfred?" Arthur's question came slowly before he suddenly clamped his eyes shut as another wave of pain over came him. "Shit..." Arthur mumbled as the pain slowly subsided once more. As he opened his eyes again, he repeated his question. "What happened?"

Alfred was unsure of how to go about responding. As Arthur became more awake, he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Upon realizing that he was not only in Alfred's room, but in Alfred's bed, he visibly tensed up. He turned to Alfred, trying to remember anything that would explain his current situation. Alfred's expression was serious, and it lacked the life that Arthur was accustomed to. The King held Arthur's gaze in silence before his blue eyes slowly flitted downwards. Arthur followed the King's gaze, confused. As Arthur looked down he saw it. At first Arthur thought it looked as though something was stuck on his collarbone. Then, as he pushed the fabric of his shirt aside, his eyes widened in shock. The elaborate patterns traced all over his heart and the clear and bold symbol of a spade was in the center of the new design atop his skin. Arthur's heart and mind began to race. Slowly and cautiously he brought his hand up and traced his fingers over the mark.

"The Queen's mark..." Arthur whispered as he ran his fingers over the new design on his skin.

Alfred watched as the confusion began to fade from Arthur's face. Arthur was quiet for a moment, then a shy smile spread across his face. He looked genuinely happy. Arthur then turned to Alfred, the warm smile still on his face.

"When did...?" Arthur's uncharacteristically fragmented sentence as well as his elated tone took Alfred aback a little, but then the King brought himself to answer.

"Last night, in the garden. You lost consciousness after..." Alfred's sentence trailed off and he averted his eyes from the Queen. Arthur looked a little confused at first, but then his eyes widened and his smile immediately fell. The memory of the previous night came flooding back to Arthur, and silence fell between the two royals. Alfred slowly looked back up at Arthur to see something he hadn't expected. Arthur looked distraught. Any signs of his previous smile was completely gone and the Queen's expression instead looked distressed and even regretful. Arthur's gaze bore into Alfred and the King averted his eyes again. Arthur quickly spoke, sounding a little frantic.

"Alfred, I-"

"It's fine, Arthur." Alfred swiftly cut the Queen off, desperately not wanting to be rejected again. "It's fine...I..." Alfred collected his thoughts for a moment, still refusing to look Arthur in the eye. "I know this isn't your ideal situation." Alfred paused for a moment before forcing a smile. "But it's okay. Everything here will be...political." Alfred spat out the last word quickly, immediately associating it with Kiku's situation. Alfred then echoed the phrase that Arthur had said in the garden.

"There's nothing real here."

Alfred stood up, and began making his way towards the door.

"Alfred-" Arthur reached out a hand towards him, but the King headed to the door without pause. Arthur's gaze followed Alfred as he left through the chamber doors, closing the door quietly behind him. Arthur quickly tried to jump from the bed to chase down the King, but just as he began to sit up, the pain coursing through his body kept him right where he was. As the door closed, the gentle click echoed throughout the bed chamber.

Arthur sat in silence. He had become a royal. The Queen of Spades. The head of all magic in Spades. The very position that his grandmother had held. Under any other circumstance, Arthur would have been overjoyed, ecstatic, even. However, at the present moment, his new role was the last thing on his mind. Even the pain throughout his body was far from his consciousness. Arthur placed his hand over the Queen's mark on his heart, a painful expression taking over his face. He had hurt Alfred. Badly. And this time, he wondered if it was something that could ever be undone. Arthur closed his eyes, as an entirely different form of pain overtook him.

"Fuck..."

.

Alfred dove mercilessly into his work directly after leaving his room. He didn't even go down to breakfast, for fear of encountering Arthur. Alfred sat in his study, speed reading countless documents before scribbling his signature on it and moving on to the next. He had somehow manged to cast a low level spell on the door to his study, keeping anyone from entering, however just as the morning was giving way to the afternoon, he heard a soft knock at the door. Alfred tensed up, and waited a moment before calling out.

"Who is it?" Alfred held his breath until he heard the familiar response.

"It's me, Your Excellency."

Upon hearing his Jack's voice, Alfred relaxed in his chair slightly and lifted his spell on the door. Shortly after, Yao opened the door and came into the study. He closed the door behind him, but lingered by the door.

"I am about to make the official announcement to the palace staff," Yao paused. "In the ballroom. I'm going to announce the Queen's arrival." Alfred's muscles tensed at the mention of the Queen. He returned his attention to the papers in front of him.

"Oh."

Yao appeared to be deep in thought, then spoke up again.

"Won't you come deliver the announcement with me, Your Excellency?" Alfred returned his attention to Yao, this time, not even bothering to force a smile.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Yao."

The Jack didn't contest Alfred's statement, but he seemed a little sad at the King's response.

"Arthur will be disappointed."

At this statement, Alfred felt a twinge of sadness mixed with irritation. The wound of being turned down was still very fresh, but he was inconveniently torn between not wanting to even look at Arthur's face, and wanting hold him and kiss him like they always had. Faced with two equally appealing choices, the King chose not to decide at all, and returned his attention to his work.

"He won't be disappointed," Alfred mumbled as he picked up his pen.

"I believe he will, your Excellency."

Alfred looked back to Yao. He really did want to believe him, but nonetheless felt unconvinced. Arthur probably didn't want to see him either. Yao let out a reluctant sigh and turned back towards the the door.

"Did you know that there is an upper balcony in the ballroom?"

Alfred looked up to see Yao looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "There's a stairwell that leads to it just across from the library." Yao slowly exited the room with one final statement. "I'm sure you could watch unnoticed from there..."

As the door closed behind the Jack, Alfred's eyes laid fixated on his work. Yao had said that on purpose. Alfred sat in silence, at war with himself for a few minutes, and then, unable to fight his curiosity, he stood up.

"I'll just go and look."

.

Alfred made his way to the library and located the small door positioned just across the hall from the book-filled room. Alfred had passed this hall countless times in the past few months but, assuming the door was just a hall closet, had never opened it. As he walked the hall, he could already hear Yao's voice speaking. It had already begun. Quickly and stealthily, Alfred slipped through the door and jogged his way up the narrow staircase. Upon reaching the top, he was surprised. The ceiling of the ballroom is so liberally adorned with silver, sapphires and blue velvet drapes that he had never noticed that an upper balcony even existed until now. It was vast and far larger than he had expected. Arthur slowly made his way to the front of the balcony and leaned close to a decorative support beam as he peered down at the main throne room below him.

Most of the palace staff was present, standing in a large, informal crowd clustered near the center of the ballroom. The knights, the guards, the palace magicians and sorcerers, even the maids, cooks and cleaning staff were all present. Standing before the large crowd was Yao, thanking everyone for gathering on such short notice. Alfred eyes widened slightly. It had just begun. He was assuming he would have missed some of it already, but Yao appeared to have started later than Alfred had predicted.

Alfred's eyes fell past Yao to the Queen who was standing to his side, just a little behind him. Arthur looked a little worse for wear. Physically speaking, he was very well put together, in an especially nice vest suit, and his hair perfectly in place, however something felt off. The composure that always seemed to come naturally for Arthur seemed forced, even from where Alfred was watching. The way Arthur's fingers fidgeted inside his fist, and every now and then, a hand would rise to tug at the cobalt blue tie around his neck. And then there was his gaze, Arthur's piercing gaze skimmed the room swiftly and efficiently, but the longer he did so, the more disappointed his gaze appeared. A fleeting thought fell through Alfred's mind, wondering if it was possible that Arthur was looking for him. He quickly dismissed the thought, but as soon as he did so, something peculiar happened. Arthur delicately traced his fingers over his heart where his mark was located under his clothing. He closed his eyes briefly, but almost immediately opened them, a confused, yet determined look on his face. Not a second later, his green eyes flitted upwards, instantly locking with Alfred's.

The King was taken aback. The way he was standing in the balcony, he was mostly hidden by a pillar. How did Arthur know he was there? Arthur's expression immediately softened a little at the sight of the King, but his expression quickly changed into a complex mesh. He looked like he wanted to say something, but given their distance and Arthur's current situation, there was no way that words could pass between them. Their gazes stayed locked for a few moments before Alfred began to feel the uncomfortable memory of Arthur's rejection return to his mind. Alfred turned his face away, casting his eyes downwards. And although the King was unable to see it, a deep sadness flickered through Arthur's eyes.

"...And it is with great pleasure that I present to you at long last our Queen of Spades, Arthur Kirkland." Yao finished the small speech that he had prepared and turned to Arthur. The Queen's eyes remained on the balcony for a moment but returned his gaze to the crowd in front of him at the sound of a roaring wave of applause. Even though the crowd only consisted of palace staff, the cheers were loud, warm, and genuine. Arthur flashed a slightly bashful smile as Yao continued.

"The coronation will take place a week from today in the throne room. Many alternative assignments and schedules will be made in preparation for the ceremony. Plan accordingly, and be ready to receive your assignments. That is all."

Alfred quickly exited the balcony and slipped back down the stairs and into the hall. Some of the palace staff were already beginning to to flow into the hallway from the ballroom. Alfred quickly turned away from the crowd to head back towards the study from which he came.

"Alfred!"

As soon as he heard his name, he felt a hand grasp firmly around his wrist. He turned around to see Arthur's green eyes bearing into him. The Queen, slightly out of breath, had seemingly sprinted to to catch him.

"Alfred..." Arthur began, then glancing down at where his hand was grasping Alfred's quickly let go and straightened up, attempting to regain composure. His eyes danced downward for a moment before the Queen gasped out his continuation. "You came."

Alfred was unsure of how to respond. He wanted to ask Arthur how he had known to look in the balcony, but his thought was cut short as Yao walked up behind Arthur.

"Ah, Your Excellency. Perfect. I need to speak with you." He glanced to the side to face Arthur. "You as well, Your Highness. This concerns both of you."

Yao turned and made his way down the hall. The two royals turned to glance at each other questioningly before falling int step behind the Jack.

.

It didn't take long for them to reach the Jack's study, where Yao situated himself behind his desk. He shuffled through a book filled with dates, while the royals stood in uncomfortable silence before him. An air of tension hung over the pair. Alfred fidgeted by running his fingers over the embroidery on the hem of his jacket, and while Arthur was staring straight ahead Alfred could tell his thoughts were probably anything but calm. Yao found the page that he was apparently looking for and spoke up.

"Lord Arthur's coronation will be taking place a week from today," Alfred blinked in surprise at the formality that Yao now attached to Arthur's name. He shot a short glance at Arthur, who seemed generally unfazed. Yao then continued speaking.

"And I will release a statement to the papers and the press this afternoon."

"So soon?" Alfred chirped the phrase out before he could mask the concern in his voice. Yao looked up at the King.

"Of course, Your Excellency. Now that the palace staff knows the Queen's identity, it's only a matter of time before the news finds it's way into town. Best to be proactive." Yao flipped a page over in the book and returned his eyes to it. "That said, we need to determine the date of your marriage."

Alfred's thoughts came screeching to a halt. Yao continued to babble on, something about choosing a date before the end of the month, but Alfred at this point was only half listening. The gravity of his position, situation and his recent rejection came rushing back to him. And Kiku. The Queen of Heart's situation seemed to be all but guaranteed for him, as well.

"Alfred."

The King snapped back and looked at Arthur, who had apparently already called his name at least once.

"Which date?" Arthur asked delicately, taking great care at addressing the visibly unnerved King. Yao had placed the book before them on the table, and all of the remaining dates of the month after Arthur's coronation were displayed on the table. Two weeks, at the latest.

Alfred could only look at the book for a few seconds before he quickly averted his eyes downward and shook his head. He let out a forced laugh before breathing out an answer.

"You pick."

Alfred turned and quickly rushed from the room. He only made it down the corridor before he heard footsteps running after him.

"Alfred!"

Arthur's voice echoed down the hall to him, only further emphasizing the reality of his position. Alfred picked up his pace.

"Alfred!"

Arthur's voice echoed down the hall again, yet more distant this time. Alfred didn't stop rushing through the various halls, and eventually, he no longer heard Arthur's footsteps behind him. Alfred stopped as he caught his breath, and turned down the hall. Arthur had stopped chasing after him. A painful and sour feeling stirred in his heart, and as Alfred turned away slowly returned to his room.

.

The following couple of days, Alfred continued to throw himself into his work. He rarely left his study, and even began taking all of his meals there. Although he wouldn't admit it himself, at this point, Alfred was actively avoiding any possible encounters with Arthur. Initially, the King had even been refusing to retire to his bedroom to sleep until Yao explained that Arthur had begun staying in the opposite wing of the castle. Despite them living in the same place, several days passed without Alfred encountering Arthur at all, and he was doing everything he could to keep his mind busy.

It was just past noon when Alfred heard a light knock on his study door. He looked up from his work as he lifted the spell he had put on his door. He waited patiently as the door cracked open, but his heart immediately softened as he saw the familiar face that peered at him from behind the door.

Matthew walked into the study, clad in his palace uniform, and greeted his brother with a smile. The King grinned.

"Hey Matt,"

His twin nodded as he surveyed the King's study and it's messy state. He then laughed.

"This brings back memories."

Alfred looked around at the clutter and let out a short laugh while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I guess it is pretty messy, huh?" Suddenly Alfred paused. "Wait. What are you doing here, Matt?"

The King's twin stopped surveying the room and looked back at Alfred.

"It's Friday, Al. I'm here for my duty and training."

At the realization that it was already the weekend, Alfred blinked in surprise.

"Oh, right..."

Matthew squinted at his brother accusingly. "Al, when was the last time you took a break?"

"Uhh..." Alfred tried to think over everything that had happened since the ballroom announcement that Monday. Taking Alfred's lack of answer as an answer, Matthew walked around the desk to his brother's side.

"I'm about to go practice arching. Come with me." Without waiting for Alfred's response, Matthew grabbed his brother's arm and tugged him out of his chair. Alfred didn't have time to decline his normally shy brother's request, and soon he fell in step behind Matthew.

Out on the palace's practice yard, Alfred lounged casually in the shade of a tree as he heard the satisfying thump of another arrow entering the target. Matthew let out a groan from a short distance away. Alfred raised his voice so that his brother could hear.

"You'll see better with both eyes open."

Matthew had a habit of closing one, or sometimes both, of his eyes when shooting an arrow.

"R-right." Matthew stuttered as he drew another arrow from his quiver.

Up until a few moments ago, Alfred had been firing off arrows with Matthew. However, Alfred had been rather good at the sport all through school, and once he had filled the bulls-eyes of three targets, he reclined under a nearby tree while Matthew continued practicing. There was another thud of an arrow hitting the target. Alfred turned his head to look at the arrow, closer to the center of the target. Matthew was gradually getting better.

"So, um..." Matthew began as he began preparing another arrow. "I saw the papers in town...about Arthur." Alfred didn't say anything but returned his gaze to the blue sky above him. Matthew continued. "But...I'm guessing by your attitude that there's a reason why you're upset? I...I noticed right when I saw you that something had to be wrong."

Alfred heard Matthew launch another arrow and waited until he heard the thump of the target board.

"He turned me down."

"Huh?" Matthew turned towards where Alfred was sitting beneath the tree. Alfred let out a quick sigh before he continued.

"On the night before he became the Queen. He turned me down."

"Oh..." Silence fell as a gentle breeze blew across the open field. "That sucks."

Alfred snorted at his brother's simple response.

"Yeah, it does."

"So now what? You two are going to be married...what has Arthur said about it?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since Monday."

Matthew turned around to look at Alfred. Alfred spoke up again before his twin could implore any further.

"I mean, I'm sure it's uncomfortable, right? Being loved by someone he doesn't love in return." Alfred paused and smiled sadly as he sat up. "My feelings could end up making him miserable. And now he's stuck with me. There's no way out for either of us." Alfred pushed his bangs out of his face as his expression hardened a little. "I mean, obviously, I'll try my best to bury my feelings but...I can't exactly move on very quickly when I'll be seeing him everyday."

Matthew paused, carefully letting what Alfred had said sink in. The Ace then looked at the target, and fiddled with the arrow still in his hand.

"Can't you just go back to the way things were?"

Alfred shot his brother a surprised and slightly irritated look.

"What?"

Matthew paused for a moment as he pulled his bow in preparation of launching the arrow. As he took aim, he spoke again.

"I mean, I don't know your entire situation, Al. But I imagine this is probably rough on Arthur too." Matthew turned to face his brother, locking eyes with him before speaking again. "You two were obviously close, and you still are, right? If there were ever a point in time where you both were genuinely happy and comfortable with each other, why not recreate it?" Matthew returned his eyes to the target and took a deep breath. "Even if it's a lie at first, it may turn into truth. You both are facing a difficult climb ahead. And I think it would be a shame for either one of you to make the climb alone."

Matthew unleashed the arrow, and it flew into the center of the target. An excited smile spread across his face as he turned back towards Alfred.

"What do you think?"

.

It was the evening before Arthur's coronation. The sunset painted the skies above Spades in a vibrant orange, and the warmth of the day began to dissipate. Much to Alfred's surprise and dismay, he had caught up on work and was left with nothing to keep him busy anymore. Matthew was in solo training for the next two days, and even after pleading with Yao to give him something to work on, the Jack turned him away.

"I'm sure there are other things in the palace that could use your attention..." Yao said suggestively. Alfred frowned and left the Jack's study. As the King slowly made his way down the hall back towards his own office, he paused at one of the large glass windows. Even from three floors up, he could immediately tell who it was. In the East courtyard, pacing and running a hand through his hair, was Arthur. The King was too far away to see him clearly, but there was definitely a prominent crease on the Queen's brow as he paced slowly around in a circle. He was grasping some sort of book in his hand, and even from this distance, it was easy to see that Arthur was muttering to himself.

That's when Alfred realized. Arthur was preparing for his coronation. The same practicing that was required of Alfred was now required of Arthur as well.

Except Arthur had to do it alone.

An overwhelming sense of guilt washed over Alfred. He had left Arthur alone during a week that was intensively strenuous. Regardless of his own rejection or whatever awkward air may exist between them, Arthur probably could have used some support. Alfred retired to his room for the evening. He would need to talk to Arthur before the coronation.

" _Why not recreate it?"_

Matthew's advice echoed in the Kings ears. He was certainly going to try. Both for Arthur's sake, and for his own.

.

The coronation was set to begin early morning, and thus Alfred awoke far earlier than normal. He quickly put on his royal garments. Today's were more formal than usual, as Alfred would be taking part in the ceremony as well. After getting dressed, Alfred hurried down to the first floor of the castle. He walked past the throne room, where Alfred could already hear countless voices, but the King kept walking. If his inclination was correct, Yao probably would have had Arthur wait in the same room that Alfred had before his own coronation. He made his way to the closed door of the waiting room, took a deep breath then opened the door.

Alfred entered the room and saw him. Sitting on the windowsill, gazing out at the early morning mist, was Arthur. He was clothed in the Queen's ceremonial garments, and the flowing sapphire fabric shone in the morning light with the accents of silver and gold dancing across the fabric. Alfred lost himself for a moment.

 _He looks like a God damn painting._

The door echoed as it closed behind Alfred, and Arthur turned to look at him. Some silence passed between them. Alfred powered through the pressure of emerald eyes bearing into him, and took some steps toward the Queen.

"So...uh. Are you ready?"

Arthur returned his gaze out the window and said nothing. Alfred forced a smile and sat across from Arthur on the windowsill. Arthur still didn't look at Alfred, but the King took notice of how Arthur was actively fidgeting with the trim on his garments. Alfred furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Are you...nervous, Arthur?"

The Queen shot an irritated look at Alfred.

"Fuck, _yes_ , Alfred I'm nervous." Arthur's voice hissed out low and slightly shaky. The King blinked at this unexpected revelation. He stared at Arthur in disbelief as the Queen returned his attention outside.

"Why? What could you possibly be nervous about?"

Arthur shot his eyes back at Alfred. He stood and towered over the still-seated King.

"I don't know, Alfred! The fact that I'm about to become the Queen of a nation? I'll be leading people, Alfred. Millions of lives are now in my hands. And what if I'm not a good Queen? We're already on the precipice of war with Clubs and thousands may die under my watch. My mistakes could lead the very fall of Spades itself if I'm not careful."

Alfred was almost alarmed to see Arthur this upset and this unsure. He spoke up.

"Arthur, that's ridiculous. You don't have anything to be so worried about-"

"I'm _scared_."

Arthur's voice was raised and sounded so desperate that even Arthur seemed shocked at his outburst. A moment of silence passed and Arthur tried to collect himself. He spoke again, calmer this time.

"I...I'm scared, Alfred...and I don't know what to do. I...can't be a Queen like her, she was wise beyond belief and I am just..."

Alfred's eyes widened. The pressure of his grandmother. His irrationally fearful outbursts made sense now. Arthur was in the unusual case that he was a direct descendant of the previous Queen, and there is no doubt that comparisons will be drawn even more harshly upon him. Most would probably be stemming from himself. Alfred's expression softened. Leaving Arthur alone with these thoughts for a week was certainly a mistake that had deteriorated Arthur's usually consistent confidence.

"Arthur." The King rose to be at Arthur's eye level. "I'm sorry Arthur. I didn't know."

Arthur's angry expression softened. Some silence passed between them before he took a step forward and gently rested his forehead on Alfred's shoulder.

"Where the hell have you been, Alfred?" Arthur's voice sounded both accusatory and exhausted, but his facial expressions were hidden from the King's view.

"I know. I'm sorry." The King thought for a moment before finally speaking. "Arthur, You're selling yourself way too short. As if you'd let Spades citizens die on your watch, you won't even let me sleep in." Arthur let out a puff of air that Alfred identified as a short laugh. Alfred smiled and he placed his hands on the Queen's back.

"War, my mistakes, your mistakes, whatever you have to face as Queen, Arthur, I'll be right beside you. You don't have to do this alone. You're not alone." Arthur was silent, so Alfred spoke up again. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be though-"

"You will be." Arthur interjected. The Queen slowly wrapped his hands across Alfred's back, returning Alfred's embrace. "You will be, Alfred." Arthur repeated his statement in a whisper and Alfred slowly felt all of the the tension, rejection and negative feelings from the past week melt away. Despite Arthur's rejection of his confession from the week before, somehow, Arthur really needed him, and apparently, had missed him. Alfred decided he didn't really need Arthur to love him back. Just so long as Arthur needed him and wanted him around, that really felt like enough. Alfred smiled. Relieved that they had returned to some form of normalcy, Alfred held Arthur close for as long as he felt Arthur needed it. Arthur lifted his face from Alfred's shoulder to look at Alfred properly. The stern expression that Arthur had earlier had been replaced with a soft smile. He gently pressed his forehead to Alfred's and smiled a little. Alfred's face felt warm at the intimate gesture. Slowly, Arthur's expression fell and became more thoughtful. Before Alfred could ask, Arthur spoke.

"Alfred,"

"Yeah?"

"...can we move forward?" Arthur sloped his head a little, causing their faces to slide a little closer together. Alfred's breath caught in the back of his throat.

"What...what do you mean?"

A knock on the door echoed throughout the small room. Arthur did not let go of Alfred, but turned his head towards the door. When the door opened, Yao appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened briefly at the current situation the royals were in, then smiled coyly.

"As Jack, I couldn't be happier to see that you two are getting along, but it's about time for the coronation."

Alfred quickly let go of Arthur and took a step back, feeling a little embarrassed. He looked at Arthur, searching for any indication of what he meant by "move forward," but judging by Arthur's expression, his mind was now completely focused on the coronation. He looked a little nervous, but not nearly to the degree he was before. Yao spoke again.

"Come, Your Excellency. You will need to take your place at the throne." He turned to Arthur. "As for you, Your Highness, please follow me."

Alfred had already practiced for this day months before, around the same time he had been crowned. This ceremony was to be essentially identical to his, though now that Alfred had been crowned, he would be leading the ceremony as opposed to the Jack. Alfred stood before the thrones at the head of the throne room while Yao stood off to the side, holding the Queen's crown. Finally, when the clock struck the hour, the wide double doors opened, and Arthur made his way through the crowd. As he approached, Alfred got a better look at his face. His gait and posture were composed, though in his eyes it was easy to tell that he was calculating every movement. Arthur finally reached the altar and stopped a few feet before Alfred, before he dropped to one knee, bowing deeply, placed his hand over his heart and closed his eyes. It was times like these that Alfred needed to remind himself that Arthur wasn't a royal by birth. After a brief second, Alfred collected himself and took a deep breath before speaking.

"You who bear the mark of the Queen,"

Alfred himself was surprised at the power-laced tone that he had just spoken with, and was surprised to see Arthur flinch ever so slightly. He continued.

"You have been chosen by Spades to rule at my side. Do you formally accept your role as Queen of Spades?"

Arthur slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I accept my role as Queen. As Queen of Spades I promise to grant my wisdom to our forces, my magic to our military, my powers to the kingdom," Arthur looked up at Alfred before continuing. "And my love to the King."

Arthur's final statement had sounded so sincere, yet he knew that Arthur was just following the traditional script. Still, that didn't quell the thoughts in Alfred's mind, nor the skip in his heartbeat.

Yao stepped forward to Alfred's side, holding the Queen's crown. Alfred took it delicately in his hands. Only slightly smaller than his own crown, the crown was a radiant and reflective silver adorned with sapphires, diamonds, and the country's emblem. Arthur lowered his head, allowing Alfred to place it on his head. Once the crown was securely on, Alfred pulled his hands away leaving one extended towards Arthur. The Queen took the King's hand in his and kissed it gently. More pomp and circumstance. Alfred continued when he felt Arthur's soft lips pull away from the back of his hand.

"You may rise, Queen of Spades."

Arthur rose to his feet, without letting go of Alfred's hand. Arthur took a step closer to Alfred and gently kissed Alfred on the cheek. It was uncustomary for the King and the Queen to publicly kiss before their marriage, thus the kiss on the hand and cheek were ceremonially meant to illustrate their relationship to one another. Alfred knew that this was all part of the ceremony, yet still he had to temporarily struggle to remember his next lines. As Arthur pulled away to face him again, Alfred spoke.

"Queen of Spades, As your King I formally swear to rule alongside you. I will assist and guard you, as you will do unto me, for as long as I live."

Arthur nodded, then slowly the pair turned, and walked towards the two thrones. As they took their respective seats, Yao stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"Those who serve the Kingdom, I present to you Queen Arthur of Spades."

The crowd erupted in cheers. As the deafening sound of applause filled the room, Alfred turned to look at Arthur. He was smiling proudly and almost sheepishly at the scene before him. He instinctively turned towards Alfred after feeling the King's eyes on him. He smiled a positively radiant smile and gently tightened his grip on the King's hand, which he still held atop the pair's armrest. Alfred smiled. Just a few short months ago he sat upon this throne alone, and now, the very person he wanted beside him was right here, the new official Queen of Spades. But what comes now? Marriage, for one thing, to his best friend who had told him that he wasn't in love with him. And then there was Arthur's inquiry to 'move forward' and what that could even mean. Alfred tightened his own grip on the Queen's hand, truly wondering where they could move forward from here.

.

Alfred let out a contented sigh. The Spades morning was warming up nicely, and summer was soon reaching its peak. Alfred had his eyes closed, but he could feel from the warmth on his face that the sun that was shining brightly through the leaves dancing above him. Two days had passed since Arthur's coronation. Alfred had had lunch with Arthur directly after the ceremony, but shortly after, Arthur was whisked away by Yao. Alfred assumed the pair was going over the Queens countless formalities and duties, and probably introducing Arthur to the paperwork that Alfred was already overly familiar with. Alfred no longer was actively avoiding Arthur. After their talk before the coronation, Alfred was fully dedicated to resuming his closeness with Arthur, regardless of if Arthur wasn't in love with him. That said, he would be giving himself the necessary space required for his own feelings to settle down. Namely, not getting too handsy with Arthur. They were staying in separate wings until their marriage anyway, and additionally, Alfred had begun waking himself up early so that Arthur wouldn't get the chance to. Today, he had woken up a little too early, and since he was still ahead on his work, after breakfast the King went out to the line of trees near the back of the castle and was resting in a short Teardrop Oak tree. He had originally brought a small book with him, but in the comfortable and broad branches of the tree, Alfred found himself nodding off.

Just when Alfred felt he was about to slip completely into slumber he felt an added weight on the branch he was resting on and the familiar click of a pair of boots. The warmth from the sun dissipated, and Alfred opened one eye to look up at his visitor, even though he could already tell who it was.

Arthur had received his royal garments the evening of the ceremony. His cobalt coat was draped regally over his frame, and flowed in the light breeze, showing off the blue vest suit he wore beneath. His sandy blonde hair was perfectly in place despite the breeze, and Arthur wore a friendly smile as he looked down at Alfred. The King smiled and opened his other eye before speaking.

"You're not wearing your hat."

Arthur's smile turned to an irritated frown. Arthur's royal garments were designed with a top hat that Arthur apparently didn't care for, and he swore to most of the palace staff that he would only wear it outside of the palace. Arthur lowered himself on the branch to sit beside Alfred. He leisurely placed his hand over the King's chest.

"And _you're_ not wearing your tie."

Alfred laughed.

"Touche."

Arthur removed his hand and looked at the book still in the King's hand and raised his eyebrows.

"A spellbook? How very studious of you."

Alfred rubbed some sleep from his eyes and sat up a little, tossing the book in his hand.

"I don't know, I just thought I should learn about spells for...wait. How did you find me here?"

Arthur squinted and tilted his head to the side.

"You're serious? It's impossible for me to not find you." Arthur's statement was met with a blank look from the King. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Did you pay attention at all when I taught you about the powers of the Queen?" Alfred thought for a moment. Far before Arthur received his mark, and when Arthur was teaching him the basics of the royals, even mentioning the Queen brought Alfred such dread that he actively tried blocking the information out. When it became apparent that Alfred wasn't going to answer his question, Arthur let out a small sigh, but calmly continued.

"The Queen is a role that has a handful of active spells; magic that is constantly being cast so long as the Queen is alive. One of them allows me to track royal magic output." Alfred's eyes widened.

"Wait. So you mean-"

"The King is constantly exuding magic. You produce more magic than you know what to do with. My locating you, is essentially easier than locating the sun in a sunrise." Arthur paused. "Given, I won't automatically know your exact location, especially over long distances, but it at least gives me a direction to look."

"Is that how you found me in the balcony during Yao's announcement?"

Arthur nodded. Alfred thought for a moment before fear clouded his azure eyes.

"Wait. If you're hyper-sensitive to my magic output, does that mean that it's... _painful_ for you to be around me?"

Arthur blinked in surprise before looking down a little.

"No. No...on the contrary. Being around your magic feels...nice." Arthur let the green of his eyes meet with Alfred's, and he slowly leaned closer to Alfred. Alfred tensed up a little, familiar enough with the Queen to know that Arthur was going to kiss him. Knowing that their intense sessions would not assist in his quest to smother his feelings, he spoke up, stopping Arthur's movement towards him.

"Is it possible for me to cast active spells too?"

Arthur stopped a few inches from Alfred's face.

"Yes, of course. In fact, should we engage in war, I would highly recommend that you cast as many active spells as possible. It saves time."

Alfred sat up completely, placing more space between him and the Queen. He halfheartedly flipped through the spellbook, looking for active spells to cast.

"Huh...oh! Arthur..." Alfred turned to the Queen, who looked mildly dissatisfied. "...Did you need something? Since you came out here to find me."

Arthur thought for a moment then blinked.

"Oh, right. Yao wanted me to come get you. He wants to meet with the two of us."

"Oh." Alfred closed the book with a smile and hopped down from the branch, landing on his feet with a thud. And turned back towards Arthur. "You coming, _Your Highness_?"

Arthur frowned where he sat at the overly-formal term Alfred had jokingly used. But soon a stifled smile overtook his face, and he hopped down and followed the King back to the palace.

.

Once back at the palace, the two headed to the Jack's study to find Yao organizing his office. Once the royals entered, he straightened up in his chair.

"Ah, Your Excellency, Your Highness. Perfect timing." Yao rested his chin on his bridged fingers as the pair approached.

"You wanted to see us, Yao?" Alfred said, questioningly.

"Yes. We need to discuss Diamonds."

Alfred thought for a moment, surprised that Yao was talking about the Western-most nation.

"Diamonds?"

"Yes. As you recall, we formalized our alliance with Hearts. We were supposed to do the same for Diamonds until our business trip was cut short by the royal signal...well, the Ace's signal anyway. And after that with the chaos surrounding the Ace's arrival, and then the arrival of our Queen, we still have yet to formalize an alliance with Diamonds. Convincing them to not take a position of neutrality is of the utmost importance."

Arthur held up a hand, trying to calm the Jack's frantic thoughts.

"Be at ease, Yao. With our newly formed alliance with Hearts, Diamonds will be sure to follow suit. The negotiations shouldn't be that taxing."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Yao paused. "For the time being, I'd like for this to get done as soon as possible, should Your Majesties be willing." Yao flipped open his large planning book. "As of now, Your wedding is set to take place twelve days from now. If possible, I would like for an alliance with Diamonds to be forged before your union...can we depart for Diamonds in two days time?"

"Yes, that is fine with me." Arthur turned to the King. "Is that alright with you, Alfred?" Arthur turned to look at the King, who wore a complicated expression. He soon forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Excellent, I'll begin getting everything ready. You two as well should prepare for Diamonds. We'll depart at first light the day after tomorrow."

Alfred nodded but then immediately left the room. Readily jumping at the fact that he needed to focus on negotiations for Diamonds, Alfred headed towards his study where he knew he would be able to resume busying himself with work. Alfred made his way down the empty corridor, actively seeking to distract himself with preparations for Diamonds. Arthur called after the King, and Alfred flinched.

 _Not again..._

The murky and complex feelings he harbored towards Arthur were not so easily stifled, it seemed. He picked up his pace, away from the Queen's voice. However, this time, Arthur ran after him.

"Alfred." Arthur called after the King but he didn't slow down.

"Alfred!" This time some anger leaked into his voice, but the King still didn't slow.

Suddenly Alfred felt his body whipped around and slammed into the wall of a side corridor, and was met with a pair of piercing green eyes bearing into him mere inches from his own. The King tried to move, but judging by the low glow emitting from the Queen's eyes, and his own muscles unwillingness to move, Arthur was using magic to hold him in place.

" _Alfred_." This time, there was an unmistakable edge of irritation in his voice. Alfred forced a nervous smile and looked to the side.

"...Yeah?"

Arthur frowned.

"What do you mean "yeah"? What's happening, Alfred? You seem like you're constantly so desperate to get away from me recently...and I honestly don't understand it. You don't even..." Arthur's voice dropped, and the irritation was slowly replaced with disappointment. "...you don't even _look_ at me anymore."

Alfred glanced at Arthur, unsure of how to respond. This seemed to contradict many of the things that Arthur had said in the garden just a few short weeks ago. The disappointed look on Arthur's face was so unusually sincere that for a brief moment, all Alfred wanted to do was kiss him until the expression faded. However brief the King's thought was, the inclination had somehow come across to Arthur, much to the King's dismay. Arthur moved a hand to the side of the King's face. He slowly stroked the side of his face with his thumb as he brought their faces a little closer. Alfred wanted to remain strong, but he could feel his resolve to stifle his feelings melting away. He tried to move, though Arthur's spell was intricate enough that he was having some trouble dispelling it in his current state. His eyes frantically sought out anything aside from Arthur, but as the Queen got closer and he felt his familiar breath on his skin, he could no longer look at anything except for those mesmerizing pools of green.

"...Arthur..." The King's voice came out in a desperate whisper. "...Arthur, please don't..."

"...Don't what?" Arthur lazily traced his other hand up the King's side. Alfred's breath hitched at the new contact that sent a tingling sensation up his spine.

"...uh..." Alfred tried to get his thoughts in order, but he could feel his resolve slipping away from him. Arthur paused with just enough space to keep their lips from meeting.

"...Tell me to stop, and I will."

Every tangible protest died before they could fully form in the King's brain. Arthur lowered his hand from the side of Alfred's face and slowly traced his thumb across Alfred's bottom lip.

"Don't fight me if this is what you want, Alfred..." The King thought he heard 'please' at the end of the Queen's statement, but Arthur's voice had dropped to a whisper, and Alfred's heartbeat pounded erratically, muffling sound. The King's azure eyes searched desperately for any further explanation from Arthur's expression, but was only met with the earnest expression that he knew. He slowly felt Arthur removing his thumb from where it rested, and he replaced it with his own lips, closing the space between them.

Arthur's spell was indeed keeping the King from moving, but it was hardly necessary. Soon, any desire to escape his situation fully slipped away as Arthur gingerly kissed Alfred in the quiet corridor. There was a gentleness and a sincerity to the way the Arthur was kissing him, and in his current state, all Alfred wanted was to be closer to Arthur. The King closed his eyes and tilted his head allowing Arthur to kiss him better. The Queen instinctively deepened the kiss and brought their bodies closer together. Slowly, Arthur lifted the spell keeping the King in his place, who wholeheartedly stayed where he was of his own accord. Far from wanting to stop, Alfred immediately traced one of of his hands into Arthur's hair and the other firmly around the Queen's waist. Arthur gasped a little in surprise before returning the King's fervor. The initial gentle kisses were rapidly replaced with hungry kisses with moans catching in the back of their throats. The pair briefly pulled back to breathe, but Alfred readily leaned forward again, relishing the closeness that he had deprived himself of for so many weeks. He laid a trail of kisses along Arthur's jaw before sucking on the shell of the Queen's ear. As Alfred focused on the new area, Arthur sighed happily as he pressed their bodies closer together.

" _Thank God, finally_ ," Arthur whispered eagerly above Alfred's ear before the King returned his attention to Arthur's lips. Both royals had felt vastly deprived over the past few weeks since their talk in the garden, and it was soon impossible to ignore the unavoidable effect that this contact was having. Alfred was becoming painfully aware of the growing situation between his legs. In between the kissing and the wandering hands, there was a very obvious friction between them. In their fervor, the disoriented pair stumbled backwards into the nearest room, their kiss never breaking until the King fell back into the plush cushions of a couch in the empty lounge room. Arthur immediately climbed atop the King, straddling Alfred's hips and grinding down into him. Alfred let out a muffled groan as Arthur repeated the movement with a smirk on his lips. Alfred mumbled a few choice curses as Arthur quickened his pace, Alfred now unable to keep his own hips from moving. Arthur connected his lips to Alfred's as his fingers quickly made work of the buttons on the King's shirt, exposing the King's intricate mark. Alfred let out a sigh of pleasure. He couldn't count how many times he had fantasized about this. He had never slept with Arthur, regardless of the countless times he had imagined it. They had always stopped themselves before they passed the point of being unable to stop, which was not to say that he hadn't helped himself along with thoughts of it later. Though today, with both of them in their current state, it was very unlikely that they would be able to deprive themselves any further. Arthur rolled his hips down into Alfred, seemingly desperate for the contact.

"Alfred..."

Arthur exhaled the King's name pleadingly into his ear. Alfred shuddered in pleasure at Arthur's voice, at the thought of Arthur wanting him. Arthur turned to face Alfred, hovering over the King. Arthur gently ran his hands down Alfred's sides.

"Alfred, please..."

Suddenly the pair heard the door knob twist, and a palace servant entered the room. Most likely for normal cleaning, but as soon as the servant saw the pair on top of each other, the servant froze in place at the door and dropped the duster they were holding. If a single look could kill, the servant would have instantly and brutally been been murdered. The Queen sent the disruption such an livid glare, that Alfred feared that all of Spades may freeze over. The servant babbled out a scrambled apology before slamming the door and running away, blushing furiously. Once the footsteps could no longer be heard, Arthur let out an irritated sigh and returned his attention to Alfred, placing a kiss on his ear.

"To think they would have the nerve to interrupt a Queen and his King."

Alfred's body stiffened at Arthur's statement as their situation came spiraling back to him. Roles. Their roles. Arthur is actively doing this because of their roles. He's only pursuing him because he feels like as a Queen, he has no other choice. _Because Alfred is his only choice._ Alfred sat up, Arthur getting pushed away slightly in the process.

"Alfred?"

"...Are you only doing this because of our roles?"

Arthur's expression darkened in confusion at the King's inquiry.

"What?"

"Are you only doing this because you feel the King and Queen have to love each other?"

Silence fell over the room. Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who said nothing. _I knew it._ Alfred shook his head, feeling like a fool for thinking that any of this might have been genuine. Arthur didn't love him. Why did he keep fooling himself into thinking otherwise? As the King stood up and headed for the door, Arthur frantically caught him by the wrist.

"Alfred, wait, I never said any of that." Alfred turned to face Arthur, the hurt apparent in his expression.

"Arthur, you don't have to force your ideals on us." The king averted his eyes before spitting out a final comment. "It's patronizing." Arthur's eyes widened at the King's statement. Alfred then pulled his wrist free of the Queen's grasp and left the room.

Arthur sat in the room alone. He rested his face in his hands.

" _...how do I keep messing this up?_ "

.

The ride to Diamonds was long. The pair of royals had not spoken in the two days prior to their departure, and the fact that they had a several hour trip alone in the the royal vehicle together was a little more than uncomfortable to say the least. Yao rode in a smaller royal vehicle directly ahead of them. Before departing, Alfred had discretely pleaded for Yao to ride in the larger vehicle with them.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Yao said just before climbing into the smaller royal vehicle. Alfred made a complicated face, recalling he and Arthur's most recent encounter.

"Well...I wouldn't say 'wrong,' but..." Alfred whined quietly. Yao made a knowing, yet exhausted look.

"Look, Your Excellency, I have no firm grasp on what exactly exists between you and the Queen, nor do I wish to be filled in, but please. Kindly sort out your frustrations and discrepancies before we arrive in Diamonds."

And with that, the Jack left Alfred to climb into the larger vehicle with Arthur. They hadn't said a word to each other throughout the ride to Diamonds, and they were more than halfway there. Alfred was trying his best to look out the window, avoiding eye contact with Arthur. The Queen, situated directly across from him, held an open book in his hand, but his gaze was bearing into Alfred. He could feel Arthur's gaze, and the King sighed uncomfortably out the window until he turned his head towards the Queen, confirming the stare that he had felt. This wasn't good. He had to break this tension somehow. Alfred cleared his throat.

"Is it not interesting?" Alfred spoke, finally breaking the silence. Arthur blinked in surprise, visibly caught off guard.

"What?"

"The book. Is it not interesting?"

Arthur's eyes flitted down to the book in his hand.

"No. Not particularly."

Alfred's face brightened, immediately thinking of an idea to break the tension.

"Then do you want to do something else?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow and closed his book, placing it beside him.

"What did you have in mind?"

Alfred smiled, seeing that Arthur had taken interest. He sat up in his chair slightly.

"Cool. Hold on..." Alfred closed his eyes and mumbled some incantations under his breath. Then, directly between them, in a small holographic projection, a shining blue chess set appeared, suspended in mid air between the two royals. Arthur's eyes widened as genuine surprise took over his face. He leaned closer to the celestial projection, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"This is a very intricate spell, Alfred. How did you learn to control your magic for a spell this precise?"

Alfred smiled at Arthur's praise.

"I was in my office for a few weeks and only have so much paperwork?" Alfred laughed shyly before continuing. "I think it's partially your fault for putting so many spellbooks on my bookshelf."

Arthur looked up and smiled at the King in front of him until Alfred gestured to the board in front of him.

"The Queen gets first move."

Three hours, and four (of Alfred's) losses later, the Spades vehicles pulled into the outskirts of Diamonds. Alfred's mouth fell agape as he returned his attention out the window. Alfred had never been to Diamonds, and only heard of the country's wealth in passing, but upon rolling into the capital city, all of his thoughts had proven to be vast understatements. The towering marble buildings with gold trim and intricate detailing stretched upwards and only grew grander and more extravagant the deeper into the city they got. The citizens of Diamonds were also very different from those in Spades. Many wore what Alfred deemed to be excessive amounts of jewelry and make up, and many of the clothes they wore were things that Alfred had never seen before.

"This is your first trip to Diamonds, isn't it?" Arthur's voice came over Alfred's shoulder. The King nodded, not taking his eyes from the scene in front of him.

"Yeah. I never imagined it would be like this..."

"Diamonds is the smallest country in Cards, though throughout history they have maintained a vast wealth. I've been here many times when I accompanied the previous Queen on business." Arthur paused before continuing. "Diamonds can get overwhelming, and they place a lot of emphasis on beauty, but they do have an eye for aesthetic. But if I had to pick, I'd pick Spades over Diamonds any day." Arthur sat back in his seat and let out a short sigh. "The King of Diamonds is an earful though." Alfred turned his attention from the window back to Arthur.

"You know the King personally?"

"King Francis of Diamonds? Yes. I met him for the first time back when I was seventeen and he was twenty. He is quite comfortable with his role, as he was crowned at eleven. That isn't too unusual for the royals of Diamonds...they are often chosen by the Diamonds system when they are still quite young." Arthur realized he had derailed from his original point. "Anyway, for a while he was the only royal in the castle. The other roles were not filled until just last year...and when I came here with my grandmother, he would often seek my company since we were close in age."

Alfred paused. Arthur had not disclosed what exactly he meant by 'company'. Before the King could inquire any further, Arthur turned his attention out the window.

"We're arriving."

The short Spades procession pulled into the Diamonds castle, which was truly a sight to behold. Never had Alfred seen a building so grand and over the top. The castle was golden, with accents of the whitest marble imaginable. The towers and walls were adorned with Diamonds, both the country's symbol, and the actual gemstone. Alfred stared in shock and awe as he exited the vehicle. He then heard Arthur's voice coming from behind him.

"It's just as obnoxious on the inside as well, I assure you." Arthur squinted at the shining castle and muttered something under his breath about being a 'waste of resources', but soon the King's attention was directed towards something else. Descending from the shining staircase, was a royal, though not the royal that the Spades had been expecting to encounter on this trip. Alfred's face lit up at the familiar face.

"Kiku!"

The Queen of Hearts turned towards the sound of his name and smiled. Alfred ran up some of the steps to meet the Queen halfway. The Queen lowered his head in a friendly bow.

"King Alfred. I'm glad that I was able to encounter you before I left." The Queen looked over towards a Hearts vehicle waiting a short distance from the Spades vehicle before returning his gaze to Alfred.

"What are you doing here Kiku?" Alfred said, trying to make sense of why the Queen of Hearts was in Diamonds.

"My dear cousin Yao was kind enough to inform me of your plans with Diamonds. I've just spoken with Francis and tilted the odds in your favor as far as negotiations may go. I've primed the field for you, in the hopes of your successful alliance with Diamonds." Alfred smiled at the Queen of Hearts.

"Really? Wow, Kiku, thank you for doing that."

"Nothing to thank me for, I'm simply assisting my ally and friend." Kiku's face softened. "It's good to see you in high spirits, King Alfred. Last I saw you, you were in such distress about your Queen. Did everything end up going alright?"

"I'd say that things turned out alright for him."

The King of Spades and Queen of Hearts turned towards the source of the voice who had just walked up behind Alfred. Arthur smiled at the other Queen. "It's good to see you again, Kiku."

Kiku's eyes widened at the new Queen of Spades.

"Lord Arthur...so the rumors were true..."

"I'm not really a lord anymore Kiku," Arthur corrected before giving a friendly smile. "...though it's good to see you again. It's been years. I can't remember the last time I saw you."

The Queen of Hearts looked away, seemingly just the slightest bit embarrassed.

"Oh? I remember it clearly."

Arthur said nothing, but shuffled a little where he stood. Alfred looked at the two Queens trying to ignore what exactly was being implied. Kiku returned his attention to Alfred and spoke again.

"Well then, King Alfred, it would seem that your Queen situation could not have ended any better for you." Alfred tried to fight off embarrassment from Kiku's comment. Kiku laughed softly and gently placed a hand on Alfred's cheek. "I'm only teasing you, King Alfred. Forgive me." Without removing his hand from the King's face, he turned to Arthur. "Lord Arthur, it's so good to see you again. I couldn't be happier to have an old friend as a fellow Queen."

Arthur's eyes kept darting between Kiku, and where his hand was currently resting, on the King's face. He finally nodded, giving a polite smile.

"Likewise."

Kiku smiled warmly before returning his attention to Alfred.

"I must be returning to Hearts now. Next time you visit, we shall be sure to give you the proper tour this time." Kiku finally removed his hand from Alfred's cheek and looked at the two royals. "Best of luck with your negotiations. Farewell." And with that, The Queen of Hearts made his way down the steps, briefly stopping to talk with Yao, who was still at the bottom of the steps.

Alfred watched as Kiku got into his vehicle and pulled away before he spoke.

"You and Kiku are close?" Alfred tried to keep the curiosity and jealousy from leaking into his voice. Arthur turned to the King and cocked an accusatory eyebrow.

"...no closer that the two of you seemingly are."

Alfred looked at Arthur, who avoided eye contact, but looked visibly irritated. Close? He had only met Kiku three times, including today. Just when Alfred was to retort against Arthur's implication, Yao joined the two Royals where they stood on the stairs.

"Ready?" Yao said, unaware of the conversation that had just transpired. Arthur nodded and started up the steps.

"Yes, let's get this over with."

.

Once at the top of the stairs, the large, shining doors were opened by Diamonds guards, and the three Spades entered the castle's main entry hall. As Arthur had said, the inside was just as lavish and extravagant as the outside. The trio walked further into the castle towards the throne room, but only made it a few paces before a voice echoed into the hall.

"Well, well...A full set of Spades in my court," The Spades turned towards a grand staircase to their left. Half way down the stairs was a man liberally dressed in gold leaning on the handrail as if he were posing for a painting. Everything about him suggested extravagance to excess, from his clothes to his posture. His golden locks flowed down to his shoulders, and his dark blue eyes were locked on the royals, an entertained expression on his face. As he descended the staircase, Arthur spoke.

"King Francis."

Alfred returned his view to the man who was now walking towards them. However, the King of Diamonds' eyes were fixated on Arthur. He spoke as he approached.

"And to think, the 'Arthur Kirkland' crowned Queen of Spades would be _my_ Arthur Kirkland." Francis got close to Arthur and placed a thumb under Arthur's chin, tilting the Queen to look at him. Arthur swiftly knocked the hand away, his eye twitching in irritation.

"I don't have any recollection of ever becoming _your_ Arthur Kirkland, Francis."

Everything about their interactions rubbed Alfred the wrong way, but most notably how Arthur had temporarily used no title before the King's name. Francis rubbed his own hand, feigning injury.

"Really? I can recall several occasions when you practically begg-"

" _King Francis!_ " A rage crept into Arthur's voice that Alfred had only heard on a few occasions, as he swiftly cut the King of Diamonds off. Arthur took a step closer to Alfred before continuing. "King Alfred of Spades and I are here to discuss negotiations for _war_. Can we please keep all discussion political?" Francis looked at Alfred up and down, then nodded quickly with a bored expression.

"Yes, yes, I heard from Queen Kiku already. Delightfully dull topics through and through, but I see no problem with it." Francis' face lit up again. "But that aside, I'll be throwing a party tonight. You Spades will attend yes? A quaint gathering with only a few hundred nobles, but we have more than enough room for you to stay-"

"King Francis." Arthur cut the other King short again, and Alfred could hear the irritation in his Queen's voice. "Negotiations first. Before anything else, I want this on paper." Francis made a sour face, but then let out a sigh.

"Fine." The King of Diamonds turned to Alfred.

"King...Alfred...was it?" Alfred nodded, and the King continued. "Grand. You and Arthur come with me." Francis paused and looked over to the Jack of Spades. "Yao, always a pleasure to see you. I'll send Basch to help you work out the stickier details." Yao nodded and waited where he was as Francis led the two other royals to a discussion hall.

.

The discussion hall was a large marble table surrounded with plush chairs and plush walls located deeper in the castle. Arthur had prepared some papers and rapidly went over the alliance that he had hoped to establish. Alfred had made the alliance with Hearts clumsily (albeit swiftly) weeks ago, but this particular alliance was mostly directed by Arthur under Alfred's authority. In fact, Arthur was so thorough and professional with the negotiations that Alfred almost felt a little embarrassed at the straightforward manner in which he had established the alliance with Hearts.

Most of the negotiations were going well. Francis was agreeing to most of what they were asking of Diamonds. However, Alfred was irked by how close Francis was behaving towards Arthur. It had become blinding clear what Arthur had meant by 'company.' Francis kept leaning closer to Arthur and touching Arthur on the arms and face, and while Arthur kept swatting Francis' advancements away, it hurt to see him acting so patient, or to even fathom that at some point Arthur may have enjoyed it.

Alfred slowly began to feel as though he didn't even need to be there. While Arthur would turn to ask for Alfred's approval or opinion every now and then, the majority of the negotiations could inarguably take place without him. Additionally, the King of Diamonds all but ignored that Alfred was even sitting there, as he continued to make casual advances towards the Queen of Spades. About one hour in, it all became too unpleasant for Alfred to watch, and he swiftly stood up. Arthur looked at the King of Spades.

"Alfred, whats wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm..." Alfred casually gestured towards the door. "...I'm just going to go get some air."

Arthur began to stand up.

"Shall I go with you?"

Alfred swiftly made his way towards the doorway.

"No, I'm good. You stay here."

Arthur slowly sat back down again.

"Alright."

Alfred quickly left the room and walked down the hall, away from the Diamonds discussion room.

.

.

As soon as Alfred left the room, Arthur turned towards the King of Diamonds with a livid expression on his face.

"What the _hell_ is your problem Francis?" The King of Diamonds smiled nonchalantly at Arthur's visible rage.

"What ever do you mean?"

Arthur's eyes filled with cold anger as he continued his verbal assault.

"Don't fuck with me, Francis."

"I used to."

Arthur's expression darkened and he said nothing. Francis' smile immediately fell. While he never muttered the phrase 'sorry' Arthur could tell he meant to. Arthur let out an exasperated sigh and returned his attention to the papers in front of him. Francis leaned in closer to the Queen of Spades.

"Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Don't you have a Queen of your own, Francis?" The King made a sour face and frowned.

"She's still a child, Arthur. No matter how cute she is, I'm not into that." Arthur said nothing, and Francis looped a hand around Arthur's waist. "Come now, why not have a little fun with me for old times' sake?" Arthur grabbed Francis' arm and peeled it off of his waist.

"I heartily decline."

Francis raised an offended eyebrow.

"Oh? And why is that?

"I have Alfred."

Francis frowned in confusion.

"What does your King have to do with it? Surely you just have fun with him too, right? I've never known you to have it any other way." Arthur cleared his throat and remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Alfred is different."

"What do you mean, _different_?" Francis furrowed his brow for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Wait. Are you really telling me you actually..."

"Enough, Francis. Let's just finish this quickly."

"No no no, I want to hear you actually say it."

Arthur frowned before an uncharacteristic blush tinted his usually composed face.

"I love him."

Francis raised his eyebrows in surprise and leaned away from the Queen.

"Well, well. I never would have seen this coming." The King of Diamonds rested his face on the back of his fist. "It was you yourself who told me that you doubted you would ever fall in love with anyone."

Arthur didn't tear his eyes away from the papers in front of him, but spoke.

"But Alfred is...I don't know. I can't explain it properly, but I seem to feel so at ease with him. His aura is warm...and in everything he does he seems so...genuine."

Francis squinted at Arthur in mild disgust.

"You've got it bad, my friend."

Arthur neither affirmed nor corrected the King's statement, but shuffled the papers in front of him into a neater pile.

"So if you would be so kind, I would love it if you would keep your hands to yourself," Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. "...or at the very least, to your multiple other suitors."

Francis placed his hand over his heart and made an offended face.

"You wound me, Arthur."

The Queen of Spades let out a snort at the King's over-dramatic display. The Queen of Spades then stood up and made his way towards the door.

"Off to retrieve your prince charming?"

Arthur looked over his shoulder at King of Diamonds.

"Shut it."

.

Alfred wandered through the endless corridors of the Diamonds castle. There were countless servants preparing for the ball that Francis has mentioned. As Alfred passed by, they would stop and bow before returning to their duties, and soon, as to keep from interrupting work, Alfred made his way outside. He wasn't sure what part of the castle grounds he was located on until he looked out and saw the amazing sight before him. Behind the Diamonds castle were rolling hills with millions of gold-colored flowers in bloom. Alfred had grown accustomed to the woods and gentle forests that surrounded the Spades palace, but Diamonds was surrounded with flat, rolling hills. The golden flowers stretched outwards as far as the eye could see until they met the distant horizon. Alfred walked out into the field, in awe.

"Whoa..." Alfred said, taking in the foreign sight. Suddenly, he heard a small gasp a short distance away. The King of Spades looked down. A few feet away from him, was a young girl sitting among the flowers. Unlike the normally flamboyant fashions of other Diamonds residents, she wore a simple white dress that was shyly decorated with the Diamonds crest. A black ribbon was tied in her short blonde hair that hovered just above her shoulders, and while she was an adolescent, in her light green eyes it was apparent that she still harbored the heart of a child. She was braiding a chain of the golden flowers, but her trembling hands were stilled as she gazed up in surprise at Alfred. The King smiled warmly and let out a friendly laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

The girl shook her head.

"It's alright..." Her voice was small, and she sounded unsure of herself, but there was a warmth to it. Alfred knelt down slowly and sat across from the girl, reaching her eye level.

"What have you got there?"

The girl looked down at the flower chain in her hands, then back to Alfred, a little bashful of her craftsmanship.

"...I was trying to make a flower crown..." She paused and looked at the place where her hands had stopped. "...but I haven't quite figured out how to get it to go in a circle..." Alfred smiled and gestured his open hands towards the girl.

"Can I see it?"

The girl hesitated at first, then carefully handed the flower chain towards Alfred. He gently took the flower chain and leaned closer so that the girl could see what he was doing.

"I have a brother named Matthew. He really loved making these when we were little." The girl's tension automatically dropped with the mentioning of a brother. She gave a small smile.

"I see."

Alfred slowly braided the end of the chain into the beginning and then held it up.

"...And that should do it!" He looked back at the young girl. "May I?" The girl giggled and leaned forward a little, allowing Alfred to place the flower crown on her head. Once placed, she sat back up and smiled warmly. It suited her.

"Thank you very much!"

Alfred lowered his head playfully.

"You're very welcome!"

The girl giggled again before her eyes settled on the spades decorating Alfred's royal jacket. She looked back to Alfred.

"Do you serve the house of Spades?"

Alfred nodded, realizing that he hadn't introduced himself. He scratched his nose nervously.

"Yeah! I am a Spade. I have the King's role, actually." Alfred waited for some sort of flustered reaction from the girl, but she only showed mild surprise before she smiled again.

"I see! The Spades King! I heard you would be arriving today, but I figured I wouldn't get to meet you...I'm still to young to attend negotiations."

"Attend negotiations?" Alfred thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Then you must be..." The girl smiled shyly.

"I may not look the part, but I am the Queen of Diamonds. My name is Lili."

Alfred paused before surveying the small royal.

"You seem so young..."

"I've just turned thirteen, but I received my mark last year..." The girl lowered her gaze and poked some nearby flowers. "In Diamonds, the system often chooses us when we are still quite young." Suddenly she looked back up at Alfred. "So, King of Spades, -"

"Just Alfred, is fine, Lili."

"Mister Alfred, then. What are you doing out here? Did the negotiations not go well?" Lili prepared to stand up. "Be...because if they aren't, I can try my best to put in a good word for you! I can talk to-" Alfred held up his hands attempting to calm the surprisingly headstrong Queen.

"No, it's going fine. It's just..." Alfred thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Your King is a little too much for me."

"Francis is?" The Queen slowly sat back down and thought for a moment. "Ah...I guess he can come off as a bit much at first glance. But he's actually a very, very kind man...I like him." The young girl blushed a little, doing little to hide the large crush she had on the King of Diamonds. "He is very kind to me...but in the very same way, he won't pay me any mind. He's always with other girls and other men..." Lili laughed nervously. "I mean, I'm half his age...it's to be expected that he wouldn't have any interest in me..." Lili caught herself and shook her head, trying to dispel the negative thoughts. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm sure you have little to worry about. Francis will surely come around to you."

"Thanks, Lili."Alfred said, not wanting to bring up how blatantly Francis was chasing after Arthur. The Queen smiled and spoke again.

"Both you and Francis are very nice Kings, I'm sure the two of you will become friends in no time!" Alfred squinted and frowned, trying to picture him and Francis becoming friends. Lili crawled to sit beside Alfred and and leaned on his shoulder. Alfred was unsure of how to react to the attention at first, but then Lili spoke.

"You're very kind, Mister Alfred. You remind me of my older brother."

Alfred relaxed with the Queen of Diamonds resting against his shoulder. In a way, her gentle nature did remind him of Matthew when they were younger. In whatever way, the two had seemed to quickly establish a familial form of friendship.

.

"Miss Lili!"

A voice called to the Queen from a few yards away. The pair of royals turned to see a woman in a palace uniform approaching. Lili's eyes widened.

"Bel, I'm over here!" Lili called and waved her arms to the approaching woman. As the servant got close, her eyes lit up in recognition at Alfred. She stopped a few feet from the pair of royals and bowed.

"King Alfred of Spades..."

Lili nodded eagerly and leaned closer into the King.

"Yup! We became buddies!" Lili smiled up at Alfred. The woman named 'Bel' looked surprised at first, then smiled at the young royal.

"I see! That's truly wonderful, my lady. I'm glad." Bel knelt down to be at the Queen's eye level and continued speaking. "The Jack has finished his portion of the negotiations. He wants you to join him for tea." Lili's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Big brother has? Really?" The Queen of Diamonds quickly stood up. "Then, I'll hurry to go meet him!" Lili started off towards the castle before turning back towards Alfred. She pointed to the flower crown on her head and beamed at him.

"Thank you, Mister Alfred!" And with that, Lili ran back into the Diamonds castle. Alfred stood up and dusted some of the petals from his clothes. Bel stood as well and hesitated before bowing again.

"King of Spades?"

"Alfred."

"King Alfred, I am Bel, Miss Lili's lady's maid. Um..." Bel took a deep breath. "Forgive me for asking, but was what she said true? You've become Miss Lili's friend?" Alfred nodded with a smile.

"Yeah! She's a good kid, I like her."

A relieved smile spread across Bel's face.

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that, King Alfred!" She paused and looked over her shoulder before speaking again."You see, Miss Lili only received her mark recently. She never finished school, and no longer has contact with those her own age. His Excellency Francis is betrothed to her, but they speak very little and will have little and limited contact until she is of age to marry. I...I try my best to be close to her and offer her support, but given my position, she may never take my friendship legitimately." Bel looked at Alfred pleadingly. "She's the youngest royal in all of Cards, and has a lot of difficulty speaking to the other royals...she has no friends among them." A smile spread across the servant's face. "So, I was so happy to see her open up so readily to you!"Bel's sheer happiness took the King aback for a moment. He blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

Bel nodded fervently.

"Yes, absolutely! I hardly ever see her smile like that around anyone but the Jack." Alfred squinted, remembering the stern man that he had seen at his first ball as King.

"The Jack of Diamonds?"

"Yes, Sir Basch! He's Miss Lili's elder brother. It's a very heartwarming tale, really. They say that as soon as the Diamond guards came to take Miss Lili away to the palace, he received his mark right then and there! Many in Diamonds love that story." Bel placed her hands over her heart at the memory. Then her smile fell again. "But finances is a very important part of Diamonds. And Sir Basch takes his role very seriously. He rarely sees Miss Lili throughout the day, try as he might to keep her company." Suddenly, Bel grabbed Alfred's hands in hers and squeezed them lightly. "Please, King Alfred. Could you truly consider Miss Lili a friend?" Mildly startled at the pressure exerted from the headstrong servant, Alfred quickly nodded before speaking.

"Yeah, of course! I mean I'm a new royal, and I'm younger than many of the other royals too. Lili and I are kind of in the same boat."

Bel smiled widely and Alfred thought he saw some tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you, King Alfred! She will be so pleased." She let out a relieved laugh and Alfred couldn't help but smile at the servant. She really cared about Lili.

.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Alfred turned around to see Arthur standing just a few feet away, arms folded across his chest, and a polite smile thinly veiling his displeasure. Alfred and Bel looked at each other, where the maid practically screamed in alarm at the fact that she was still holding the King of Spades hands. She swiftly whipped her hands away from the King and bowed lowly where she stood.

"I-I-I'm terribly sorry! Forgive me, Your Excellencies!"

Alfred turned back towards Arthur as he approached, the polite smile now gone from his face.

"Arthur, hold on, it's not what-" The Queen grabbed the King's arm with an iron grip then spoke.

"Now." Arthur's tone was even and composed like normal, but by now, Alfred could tell that he was upset. Arthur began dragging the King back towards the castle. Alfred briefly looked back over his shoulder at Bel, who still had her head bowed. However, Arthur soon picked up his pace and Alfred turned his attention back in front of him.

"Ow? Arthur, slow down, what's wrong?"

Alfred assumed Arthur was taking him back to negotiations, but instead, Arthur pulled Alfred to a secluded courtyard in one of the gardens behind the castle. Arthur was quite familiar with the Diamonds' castle layout. Once there, Arthur cornered the King against a tall marble wall, their faces only inches apart.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Arthur said, doing nothing to hide his anger.

Alfred narrowed his eyes at Arthur in confusion while he rubbed the part of his arm where Arthur had grabbed him.

"What?"

Alfred only had a moment to be confused before Arthur kissed him. As he pulled away, Arthur spoke again.

"Are you doing this to me on purpose?"

Alfred breathed heavily trying to get a firm grasp on the situation.

"Arthur, what are you even talking about?"

Arthur leaned forward and kissed Alfred again, deeper this time, equally depriving themselves of air and causing their heartbeats to quicken. When Arthur pulled back, he kept his face close, so that when his voice came out in a whisper, his lips still grazed over the King's in front of him.

"Kiku, that maid, even the Queen of Diamonds? Your eyes are on absolutely everyone." Alfred scowled at Arthur's accusation, but was more enraged at Arthur's hypocrisy. Alfred retorted swiftly as he pushed Arthur away slightly.

"Arthur, you're being absurd! And how could you possibly reason pointing your finger at me when Francis in there is practically hanging off of you? Do you think I'm too stupid to read between the lines? How long were you with Francis? And even with Kiku? Am I just another royal to check off your list?"

"No!"

Arthur's raised his voice so unexpectedly that the King was rendered silent. Alfred had never heard Arthur sound so hurt. Just by looking at the expression on Arthur's face he immediately knew he had gone too far, and felt horrible. Alfred slowly spoke, humiliated by his own jealousy.

"...Arthur, I didn't mean..."

Arthur stood still, a complex and hurt expression on his face. Alfred sighed, not wanting this disappointing scene to continue. Alfred placed his hand under Arthur's chin and angled his face toward him before kissing him. Alfred let his lips meet Arthur's a couple of times before Arthur sighed happily and finally returned the affection. He placed his hands on Alfred's sides and complied eagerly as he pressed their hips together. Arthur nipped at the bottom of Alfred's lip, and the King gasped, allowing the Queen's tongue to explore. The pair of royals kissed in the shaded garden and allowed their hands to wander, until their movements became more desperate and their kisses became more rushed and needy. It was growing difficult to ignore the effects that this contact was having. They pulled away briefly, gasping for air. Arthur breathed out a comment into the side of the King's neck.

"How are you doing this to me?"

Before Alfred could inquire what exactly Arthur meant, he felt Arthur's hand brush past the front of his pants. Alfred let out a short moan, already aware of the growing problem between his legs. Alfred thought he saw a smirk tug at the corners of Arthur's mouth before he felt the motion repeated. Another sound caught in the back of Alfred's throat as Arthur leaned upwards towards the King's ear.

" _You're mine_." Arthur whispered as he slowly continued stroking the front of Alfred's growing bulge."Understand?" Arthur breathed against the King's ear. Alfred nodded shakily. The Queen punctuated his statement by pulling the King briefly into a kiss. It only lasted for a short moment though. Arthur pulled away, placing a second kiss on the King's collarbone, and shortly after Alfred felt Arthur draw away. Alfred sighed, expecting that yet another of their sessions was coming to an end, only to realize that Arthur was not drawing away, but dropping down. The Queen knelt before the King onto his knees while his hands sought out the buckle on the King's pants. Alfred's eyes widened as he watched the scene unfolding before him in disbelief.

"Arthur, what are you-"

"Hush..." Arthur soothed as he unfastened the buckle and tugged the King's pants lower.

"Shit, Arthur, here? What if-" Alfred's protest died in his throat as he felt Arthur drag his tongue across the area just below the King's navel. Alfred let out a short groan as Arthur hummed in approval. The Queen said nothing but wasted no time tugging Alfred's already hard member free from his undergarments. Alfred's face flushed with color at the sight. Arthur smiled as he gave the cock a few tentative pumps, his eyes clouded in a lust that the King had never seen before. Alfred bit his bottom lip, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a moan in the back of his throat.

"Arthur...you don't have to-"

All further protest died as Alfred felt a strong sucking motion. His entire body went rigid as he felt a wet warmth enveloping him. Alfred threw his head back and let out a sigh of pleasure. _Fuck, it felt so good_. The King dared to look down at the scene before him and stifled a moan at the sight. The same man who had been his royal instructor, his friend, the one who had taught him everything about being a royal, was now kneeling before him, sucking his dick. Alfred's hips bucked forward and he let out another groan. Arthur grabbed the King's hips and pushed them back against the wall, holding him in place. Arthur smirked and resumed his work, bobbing his head and setting a steady pace.

"Ah, Arthur..." Alfred moaned out the Queen's name and threaded his fingers through his blonde hair below him. It took every last shred of Alfred's strength not to thrust forward again for fear of hurting Arthur. Arthur quickened his pace, sucking and swirling his tongue around the head, then deeper until Alfred felt his cock hitting the back of Arthur's throat. Alfred let out a moan. _Fuck, he was good at this. How many times had Arthur done this before?_ The King could barely dwell on the thought for more than a second though, as Alfred tightened his grip in Arthur's hair. Alfred felt a familiar clench and knew he was getting close at an embarrassingly fast rate. He looked down to see his cock moving in and out of Arthur's mouth which only pushed him closer to release.

"A...Arthur let go..." Beads of perspiration clung to Alfred's face as he let out ragged breaths of air. "...Arthur let go, I'm going to..."

Arthur let Alfred's dick slip from his mouth with a wet pop, continuing the stimulation by gingerly pumping it with his hand.

" _Go ahead_."

Arthur quickly returned his mouth to Alfred's member and quickened his pace, rapidly guiding the King to his climax.

"Arthur...Arthur...!" Alfred moaned out, his hips shooting forward as he released harshly into Arthur's mouth, spilling down his throat. Arthur continued bobbing his head, drawing out the King's orgasm as long as possible and swallowing all of his release. Alfred tried to catch his breath, still in the depths of his orgasmic high. Then, he felt the strength slowly leave his legs and he slid downward, sitting with his back against the wall behind him. As Alfred slowly came back down, Arthur leaned forward, kissing the King along the sides of his face, where sweat had accumulated.

"Shit, that felt good," Alfred whispered, his voice still ragged from what had just happened. Arthur gently ran his hand through Alfred's hair, pushing his bangs back from where they clung to his forehead.

"Good."

Alfred placed his hands on Arthur's hips and pulled him closer, lovingly staring up into the Queen's eyes, as his heartbeat gradually resumed its normal rate.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Arthur paused and his face flushed a little.

"Yeah, you." Alfred pulled Arthur closer and lazily traced his lips down the side of Arthur's neck. Alfred felt Arthur's breath hitch a little.

.

"Your Excellency! Your Highness!"

Yao's voice was distant, calling from just outside the Diamonds castle. Alfred pulled Arthur closer as the pair waited and listened in the shadows of the courtyard where they sat. Soon, the Jack's voice could no longer be heard, and they sat alone in the hushed courtyard. Arthur turned to face Alfred, the King staring at him with a want still stirring in his blue eyes. At the moment, all Arthur wanted was to continue, though he rationalized that it was better to stop before they completely lost themselves. Arthur smiled, a hint of disappointment in his expression.

"Yao is looking for us..." Arthur reluctantly sat up, putting a little distance between them. "...so I'm afraid I'll have to take you up on your offer another time." Alfred nodded, knowing that Arthur was right.

The Queen stood up and straightened his coat, trying to regain a sense of composure.

"I'll finish the negotiations with King Francis, if you'll return to Yao. He'll help you sign the work for the treaty."

"Alright," Alfred said, surprised at how quickly Arthur could return to normal after something like that.

"The ball..." Arthur said, turning his eyes back towards Alfred. The King had also stood, and was trying to return to a more presentable state. He looked over at Arthur.

"Yeah?"

"...Would you like to attend?" Arthur paused. "...Or we can simply return to Spades, if you're-"

"Let's attend." Alfred said, interjecting. "We can always return to Spades in the morning." Arthur smiled and nodded his head.

"Alright then." Arthur took some steps towards Alfred and gently pressed his forehead to the King's. "See you at the ball, then."

.

The ball was certainly as lavish as Alfred had predicted. Held in the Diamonds Castle's largest ballroom, there were easily several hundred people present in all manner of fashion. Yao was holding a lively conversation with Basch about the day's negotiations, which was finalized with benefits for both Diamonds and Spades in the event of a war with Clubs. After socializing with countless nobles from Diamonds, Alfred mostly propped up a wall, waiting for Arthur to arrive at the party. It was only a matter of time before the King used this time to try and identify what exactly did exist between him and Arthur. He couldn't really say they were just friends, especially not after this afternoon. Alfred blushed a little at the memory. They were going to be married, in just over a week's time, Arthur didn't love him, but then why did he behave like he...

"Excuse me." Alfred turned to his side, and saw a girl with long platinum hair and strikingly pale skin standing just a short distance away from the King. She was clad in a dark dress and was clutching a small glass. She had in interested look on her face. "You're King Alfred of Spades, yes?" Alfred looked at the girl, slightly puzzled.

"Yeah, that's me."

The girl immediately smiled.

"I knew it! I've been dying to meet you..." She gestured to the crest she wore on her dress. "I serve the house of Hearts. I've heard a lot about you, King Alfred."

Alfred tilted his head and gave a polite smile.

"Oh? Hopefully good things."

"Of course." She got a little closer to the King before her face expressed concern. "I couldn't help but notice, you seem to be troubled, Your Excellency." Alfred kept up his smile but let out a short sigh, thinking about his progress with Arthur.

"Maybe a little."

"This may be forward of me, but is it by any chance a matter of the heart itself?" Alfred shot an alarmed look at the girl. She let out a airy laugh. "Don't try to deny it, I have an eye for these sorts of troubles." The girl's eyes flitted down to the glass in her hand before offering it to the royal. "Here, take this. I assure you, your heart's worries will feel much lighter afterwards." She handed the small glass to the King, who slowly took the glass into his hands.

"Thanks, I guess."

The girl watched him expectantly. Alfred hesitated at first, then took a sip of the drink. It didn't taste like much at all, only slightly bitter with an apple-esque aftertaste. Alfred swallowed the beverage and tried to determine if there was alcohol in it, but smiled in gratitude as he relaxed a little.

"Thank you."

The girl said nothing and bowed.

"I hope you feel better soon, King Alfred."

.

"Alfred,"

The King turned to see Arthur making his way towards him, through a crowd of people. When Alfred saw him, a broad smile took over both of their faces. Arthur finally made it to the King's side.

"Sorry I took so long, this hall is enormous and kept getting stopped by old acquaintances desperate to hear about my new role as Queen."

"It's alright, I was just talking to..." Alfred turned to look at the girl, but she had long since disappeared. Alfred turned back to Arthur. "...never mind, not important." Arthur shrugged and accepted the King's statement. The orchestra began a new song, and many of the people moved toward the center of the room. Alfred looked at Arthur.

"I...still haven't given you my first dance," The King said. Alfred thought he saw Arthur blush a little before he looked down.

"That's true..." Arthur laced his fingers through Alfred's before pausing. "...before that, can I borrow you for a moment? I want to talk to you."

Alfred tensed up a little, sensing a little tension in Arthur's voice.

"Alright."

Alfred followed Arthur outside. Many of the guests were on a grand balcony overlooking the flower fields, but Arthur led Alfred through some of the lower gardens. He was familiar with the Diamonds castle's gardens, and he stopped near a fountain surrounded with white roses. Alfred gingerly set his glass down on the edge of the fountain and turned to Arthur. The Queen looked like he was at war with himself for a moment, before taking a deep breath and letting his eyes meet Alfred's. His emerald eyes seemed to practically glow in the dim illumination of the garden.

"Alfred, I..." Arthur rubbed the back of his neck briefly before dropping his hand and looking at the King. "...I needed to speak with you." Alfred felt uneasy at the level of care Arthur was speaking with. Whatever it was, this was serious.

"Ok...what's the matter?"

"It's about what you said to me in the garden a few weeks ago..." Arthur looked down, blushing ever so slightly. "...when you said you loved me."

Alfred froze, recalling the sour memory before forcing a smile.

"Oh, it's okay, Arthur. I know that you don't—-"

"Let me finish." Arthur spoke swiftly, catching the King off guard. Arthur continued.

"I...I may have lied. Both to you, and to myself." Some silence fell among them before Arthur continued. "If I'm being honest, I was actually very happy to hear it. We are obviously... _close_ , but to hear that you saw me in the same way that I had begun to see you...I was elated." Arthur's expression darkened a little. "But I felt so disgusted with myself. I was going to become the very same thing I had despised; the very thing that emotionally broke the previous Queen." Arthur bit the bottom of his lip, clearly mulling over something painful in his head. "I saw those countless mistresses hanging off of the King and cursed them day after day for stealing the love that I felt the Queen was more deserving of. I felt that if I sought out any relationship with you, I would be the ultimate hypocrite; I wouldn't even be able to live with myself once the Queen appeared. So I...rejected your feelings, regardless of how much I wanted to answer to them." Arthur turned his eyes back towards the King. "But then I got my mark...given, it was far too late, I had already ruined any prospect of your returning my feelings again." A small smile tugged at the corners of Arthur's mouth and he let out a small laugh. "And yet you seemed to still love me anyway..."

Arthur stepped closer to the King.

"I know it's pathetically late, and you may no longer want to hear it, but I would like to properly answer your feelings if I may." Arthur looked at Alfred; his student, his best friend, the King of Spades, and summoned all of the sincerity he could. "I'm in love with you, Alfred. I have been for a while."

Alfred smiled broadly and tried to stifle the overwhelming joy and excitement that he felt. He took a step forward to the Queen.

Green. A dark, murky green overtook the King's line of vision and set the world around him spinning.

"Alfred?"

The King stumbled into something warm, though he could no longer see anything. The green color was soon accompanied with whispers; thousands of voices that seemed to overtake all of his senses and completely disorient him.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

The King's breath became ragged, he felt choked and uncertain of everything, as if all of Cards had begun to fall from beneath him. It all intensified at an earth-shattering rate, and then, suddenly, it all began to subside. Everything fell quiet, and something inside Alfred now felt... _empty_. What was it? He could have sworn it was important.

"Alfred!"

Arthur stared frantically down at Alfred who seemed to have temporarily lost consciousness. Then, the King's eyes slowly fluttered open, his breathing returning to normal. Arthur let out a sigh of relief.

"Alfred, God..." Arthur brushed his hand past the King's cheek. "Are you alright?"

The King's blue eyes slowly focused on the Queen of Spades with a blank expression on his face. Then suddenly, Alfred frowned. He stepped away from the Queen, a dark and confused expression taking over his face. A deep concern grew in Arthur. Something was very wrong.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

The King looked at Arthur with an accusing stare before saying three words that made Arthur's heart drop.

.

"Who are you?"

.

* * *

.

..

…

….

…...

….

...

Author's Notes

-Yiiiiiikes. What a chapter, huh? ^^

-This chapter was crazy long. I probably should have split this chapter in two, but I wanted to make up for not updating for so long ^^; Don't you hate it when school gets in the way of your fanfiction fun time? But I graduated and got a neat animation job, so trade offs?

-Matthew gives such pro advice. Wish I had a bro like Matthew.

-There was a lot of making up, and fighting, and making up, and fighting this chapter, but hey, what is love, amirite? Haha...*cries*

-I always pictured the Diamonds castle looking like an even shinier Versailles. If such a thing can exist.

-Sidenote: Lili is a sweetheart

-Yes, Bel was good 'ol Belgium.

-We got hints of past AsaKiku and past Fruk, but no worries, from here on out, it will be all USUK (boy oh boy Arthur gets around)

-So many kissies this chapter...I'm a very happy writer :3

\- AAAAA I've never written a smut scene before...did I do okay...?

-Don't take drinks from people you don't know, kids

\- All of the Spades roles are assembled, and we finally heard Arthur's feelings, but what's happened to Alfred? What will become of our heroes?

.

-Thank you for your support, I really, really appreciate it! If you're enjoying this story, please let me know!


	7. Chapter 7: Void

Arthur stared at Alfred in disbelief. He had led Alfred away from the gardens, but once back in a small side room the Diamonds castle, and had begun pelting the King with questions.

"You don't remember me?"

Alfred leaned away from Arthur's assault of questions.

"No..."

Arthur frowned.

"You remember everything else? Spades...your position?"

Alfred nodded slowly.

"Yeah..."

No matter how much he tried to fight it, a sad expression began to tug at the features on Arthur's face.

"You...really don't know anything about me?"

Alfred shook his head, only looking cautious and confused.

Arthur paused, trying to make Alfred's situation.

"Please, Alfred-" Arthur reached his hand towards Alfred's face only to watch the King flinch away uncomfortably. There was a cool, almost fearful look in his eyes, and his mannerisms were completely devoid of warmth. He really didn't know who Arthur was at all.

"Your Excellency!"

Yao burst through the door into the room, responding to Arthur's distress call. He was followed by Francis, who remained near the door. Alfred turned and looked towards the Jack with a smile.

"Yao." Alfred said plainly.

Arthur whipped around to look at the King, disbelief in his eyes.

"...you remember Yao?"

Alfred looked at Arthur blankly, and slightly accusatory.

"Of course."

Arthur tried to fight off the deep form of hurt that slowly took over him, but was cut off by the frantic Jack. Yao knelt before the seated King, worry clouding his eyes.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?"

Alfred frowned and shook his head.

"My head hurts and my memories feel all fuzzy..."

Yao turned to look at Arthur.

"Your Highness, what has happened?"

Arthur shook his head weakly.

"I don't know...We were just in the Diamonds gardens and he suddenly collapsed. When he came to, he said that he..." Arthur paused, processing the painful truth, "...he didn't know who I was."

Yao's face lit up in alarm and turned back towards Alfred.

"Is that true your Excellency?" Yao stood and gestured to Arthur. "You don't know who this is?"

Alfred's eyes traveled from Yao to Arthur, holding his gaze for a few moments before he furrowed his brows and lowered his head in confusion.

"No...I'm sorry."

Arthur would have laughed at the sickening irony of his situation if he hadn't felt so heartbroken. He walked closer to the seated King and knelt before him, fully aware of how cautious Alfred was acting towards him; a stranger. The Queen then offered the best smile he could in this situation.

"There's nothing to say sorry for, Alfred." Arthur paused before continuing. "I'm Arthur...Arthur Kirkland." The Queen felt a strange wave of despair as he introduced himself to the King who no longer remembered him.

"Arthur..." Alfred repeated the name, and frowned, visibly trying to wrack his brain. Yao turned to Arthur.

"Has he forgotten anything else?"

Arthur looked over his shoulder back at Yao.

"No. Just me, it would seem."

It was true. After Yao pelted Alfred with similar questions, it was apparent that all memories containing or surrounding Arthur seemed to have dissipated from the King's memory. Yao furrowed his brow, thinking deeply. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"This could be magic, Your Highness. Could you search him for traces of foreign magic?"

Arthur's eyes widened. Magic. Of course. Arthur had been so frantic about the King's state that he hadn't even considered it. Feeling a little hopeful, Arthur nodded, his face regaining some composure.

"Alright." Arthur turned back towards the King and hesitantly held out his hands. "Alfred, if you would...I want to check you for any fragments of a spell."

The King complied, holding out both of his hands, allowing Arthur to close his hands around him. Arthur closed his eyes and mumbled some words under his breath. A low, blue glow surrounded the two and a few magic circles danced above Arthur's figure. After a few moments, the Queen's face grew visibly frustrated, and he released his spell. He stared ahead, not making eye contact with anyone.

"...I can't find anything. There's no residue of magic being cast on Alfred, and there's no way I wouldn't pick up on a spell, no matter how intricate." Arthur turned to the Jack, at a loss. "What could it possibly be if it isn't a spell?"

Yao turned to Alfred.

"Your Excellency, what do you remember of this evening?"

Alfred frowned, thinking for a moment.

"I arrived at the ball...I spoke with a handful of people who lived in Diamonds. And then I met with a girl from Hearts who-"

Francis suddenly perked up at this statement and took some steps towards the trio.

"Wait. From Hearts?"

Alfred looked over at the other King and nodded.

"Yeah."

Francis' face immediately darkened in confusion.

"...No one from Hearts should have been at this ball. Given, I invited the Queen, but he had other business. And no one serving the house of Hearts would be present without one of the royals."

Noting how this was incredibly suspicious, Arthur frantically turned back to Alfred.

"Alfred, what did you talk with her about?"

"Nothing...I don't think. I was feeling unsure because of..." Alfred paused and frowned. "...something. I don't know. But anyway she gave me a drink to make me feel a little better, and-"

Arthur's eyes widened as he remembered the glass that the King had been holding. Potions. That could be why he couldn't pick up on any spells. Potions were a different branch of magic altogether, and for the most part, weren't practiced very often anymore. Arthur looked at the Jack.

"Yao, there is a glass in the south garden on the reflection fountain. Bring it to me." Yao nodded and immediately left the room at an alarming speed. Arthur then turned to the King of Diamonds. "Francis, secure the Diamonds castle and have the premises searched. Whoever this Hearts girl is may still be on castle grounds." Francis nodded, and returned to the door at the edge of the room, immediately barking some orders at the guards just outside the door. The Queen was left in the room alone with the King of Spades. He could feel Alfred looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Arthur looked at the King, only to feel discouraged. Alfred's bright azure eyes were devoid of the affection that Arthur had grown accustomed to. Now, he only looked at Arthur with caution, and curiosity. Alfred spoke up.

"Are you...the Queen of Spades?"

"...Yes."

Alfred brought his hand to his head and squinted in pain, visibly frustrated.

"...why can't I remember anything about you...?"

Just before Arthur could reply, Yao returned, grasping the glass that the King had drank from. He panted lightly as he held it towards Arthur.

"I was able to retrieve it just before a servant was heading to clear it away."

Arthur smiled, relieved.

"Well done, Jack." Arthur took the small glass from Yao into his own hands. Arthur turned the glass around in his hands for a moment There was a small amount of the potion left. Arthur leaned forward and sniffed it. It had no distinct scent, but as he held it up to the light, it had a slight green tint to it. Arthur frowned.

"That's not good," he mumbled under his breath, noting that slightly green color was characteristic of many potions. Slowly, Arthur mumbled a short incantation, as his body began releasing a low blue light. The contents of the glass, in turn, released a green glow. Anger flitted through Arthur's eyes as he released his spell. Without removing his eyes from the glass, he spoke.

"It's a potion. A highly concentrated one, at that."

Yao and Alfred's faces illuminated in alarm. Alfred suddenly spoke up.

"What type of potion was it?" Alfred said, visibly upset that he was apparently afflicted by magic in some way. Arthur shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I won't even be able to tell it's contents before I get a hold of my own magic potions to analyze it."

Yao turned to the Queen.

"Your Highness, we should return to the palace immediately. We don't know what this potion is, nor if it is through affecting the King."

Arthur said nothing, but nodded. The Jack was right. Diamonds didn't have the advanced magic to support his proper analysis nor the treatment for this potion. Arthur spoke.

"You're right Yao, let's return to Spades for now."

The three Spades, escorted by Francis left the Diamonds palace under the veil of night. As they entered their royal vehicle, Francis spoke.

"Arthur, I truly am sorry about all of this. To think, something would happen to the King of Spades under my watch." There was a sincerity in Francis voice that almost made Arthur feel sorry for him.

"It's alright, Francis." Arthur thought for a moment. "Let me know if the Hearts culprit is found."

"Absolutely." Francis turned to Alfred. "I am sorry about this, King Alfred. I hope that the strange effects of this potion are broken soon." Alfred smiled at the fellow King.

"Sure thing, Francis." Alfred felt a little perplexed. He felt as though he had been upset with the King of Diamonds, but he couldn't for the life of him remember for what, or even when. He smiled at Francis and waved as the Spades vehicle pulled out from the Diamonds castle. As they sped quickly through the shining city, Alfred turned his eyes towards the man named Arthur. He was staring at him with a complicated expression on his face. As Alfred looked the Queen, a strange feeling stirred in his core before a fiery pain ignited in his head. Alfred brought his hand to his face and Arthur immediately perked up.

"Are you alright?"

Arthur's voice rang in Alfred's head and the pain intensified. Alfred nodded, pushing Arthur's hand away which had come to rest on his shoulder.

"Yeah I'm fine, um..." Alfred knitted his brows together for a moment, "...Arthur." He let the foreign sounding name roll off his tongue reluctantly.

Arthur's expression didn't change, but the King thought he saw a flicker of sadness run through his eyes. Arthur withdrew his hand slowly, and spoke again after a moment of silence.

"The potion may be causing a number of other side effects." Arthur leaned back in his chair. "Rest, Alfred. I'll wake you when we've arrived."

Alfred nodded at the man across from him and let his eyes slide closed. The nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach continued. Why was his memory so full of holes? What had he forgotten? Frustrated from his own lack of answers, Alfred welcomed sleep as it slowly closed around him, lulled by the engine of the Spades vehicle.

Arthur stared at the sleeping King across from him, distraught. Who had done this to Alfred? And what had they done? Was it a potion specifically designed to rip Arthur from Alfred's memory? How could such an accurate potion even exist? Arthur's stomach churned at the thought, as he turned to watch the shining city of Diamonds slowly fade from view.

.

Arthur sat upon his throne in the empty throne room, lost in thought. He leaned his head uncharacteristically on his fist and tapped his other hand's idle fingers on the arm rest, the sound echoing throughout the empty hall. The Queen wracked his brain, trying to figure out what sort of potion Alfred had ingested. Just then, Yao opened the door of the throne room and made his way toward Arthur, followed by Matthew who wore a worried expression on his face. Once the two were standing before him, Yao spoke first.

"I've had King Alfred retire for the night. He's already fallen back asleep."

Arthur let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that strange pain that was accompanying the King's memory loss would at least be at bay while he was asleep.

"Good."

Yao turned to Matthew and spoke.

"I've explained the situation to Lord Matthew."

The King's twin immediately spoke up, a pained expression on his face.

"This is all my fault. I should've accompanied you to Diamonds rather than remaining here to train more. I...I should have..."

Arthur held up a hand, stopping the Ace's frantic apologies.

"This isn't your fault, Matthew. You haven't learned the necessary magic to detect poisons and potions yet. This would have occurred whether you were there or not." Arthur lowered his hand and his own face darkened. "If anyone should have been able to stop this, it would be me. Alfred is still too trusting of others and I should not have left him unaccompanied, even for a short while."

"Your Highness."

Yao cut the Queen short and spoke again.

"This is not your fault either. The only one at fault is the one who has placed this spell on our King." Yao cleared his throat. "I have heard back from the King of Diamonds. He said that though the premises was secured and Palace thoroughly searched, no one from Hearts was found among the guests at the castle. They are now extending the search throughout the capital city, but it is likely that the perpetrator is no longer in Diamonds."

Arthur's face darkened, doing nothing to hide his displeasure. Yao spoke up again.

"I've sent word of our situation to Hearts. Though given the current time, we most likely won't hear from them until the morning."

Arthur nodded. He was right. It was well past midnight, and it was illogical to expect any response before the morning. Matthew spoke again, still a little frantic.

"Is it really alright for Alfred to be sleeping? What if the potion's effects get worse?"

Arthur shook his head.

"Potion magic takes place very quickly. It is improbable for the effects to take a long time to fully cast. Alfred's current state is the final stage of the potions' cast. He won't get any better or worse from where he is now. Right now, we need to be focusing on how to procure an antidote."

Matthew took another step towards Arthur.

"Do you know much about potions?"

Arthur frowned.

"I fear potions aren't exactly my specialty. Potions are an old form of magic, and Spades are the creators and masters of highly advanced new magic and spells. Though I know enough to get a start."

Yao nodded, familiar with Arthur's magic practice before he became Queen. The Jack spoke.

"I have faith in you, Lord Arthur. Will you be able to start approaching an antidote by tomorrow? If possible, I would like this problem to be resolved without alerting too much of the palace staff. The wedding is approaching, and I don't want the capital to be flooded with rumors."

Arthur tensed, aware of the impending pressure of their wedding. The Queen did not break eye contact with the Jack, asserting a level of confidence.

"I assure you, I will find the antidote before our wedding."

Yao relaxed slightly and nodded.

"Good."

Arthur turned toward the Ace.

"Matthew. Please spend this time to study and practice spells that detect potions and foreign magic. Next time something like this is attempted, it will not go over so easily."

Matthew nodded, determination showing clearly on his face.

"Absolutely."

Arthur returned his mind to the conundrum at hand. Potions, Hearts, A young girl...and Arthur alone being ripped from Alfred's memory. So many pieces were not coming together. The Jack broke the Queen's concentration by speaking again.

"Let us all retire for the night. We'll approach tomorrow's problems tomorrow."

Arthur nodded and stood up from his throne.

All three of the royals retired to their respective rooms. Arthur took the long way through the castle, passing by the King's chambers. Arthur desperately wanted to be at Alfred's side, making sure that he was alright, but at this moment, Alfred no longer knew who he was. Arthur was now a stranger to him. The Queen shook off the negative thoughts and made his way to his own room in the opposite wing of the castle. He had to find a way to break this spell.

Arthur slept very poorly that night. His rest was shallow, and he tossed and turned from one nightmare to the next. For someone who was accustomed to relatively dreamless sleep, it was unnerving, and by the time the Spades' night was beginning to lighten at the first hints of dawn, Arthur had dressed and gone to the magic libraries in the dungeon.

Spades was well known for its magic, and was fortunate enough to have a large library of magical properties in the belly of the castle. Arthur quickly went to work, collecting samples from various jars that he estimated could have been used in the potion that Alfred had. After a few hours of searching and studying various samples, he returned to his magic study and spread a large roll of paper on the table. Potions were an old form of magic, which meant that all of Arthur's magic would have to be cast manually.

The queen had just begun drawing a large magic circle on the roll of paper when he heard a knock at the door. He looked up, and shortly after, Yao appeared in the doorway and crossed his arms.

"Your Highness..." Yao paused and looked around the room, taking in the sight. It was apparent that the Queen had been at work for quite some time. He looked back at Arthur. "...Did you sleep, Your Highness?"

Arthur immediately brought his attention back to the paper in front of him.

"Yes."

The Jack, obviously not very satisfied with the Queen's answer, frowned for a moment before letting out a sigh and dropping his hands.

"If you say so."

Arthur returned to drawing his magic circle but continued speaking.

"Where's Alfred?"

"In his room. I just sent Matthew to wake him."

Arthur's heart pained slightly at the thought of Alfred, and how the man he loved no longer had any memory of him. Arthur's resolve immediately strengthened and he shoved down his feeling of disappointment in order to maintain a composed exterior.

"Will you send him down to me once he's eaten? I'd like to start right away."

Yao bowed where he stood.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yao immediately disappeared down the hall from which he came. Arthur returned to finishing the intricate circle, and just when he finished writing the necessary spells throughout the complex drawing, he heard a knock on the door frame. Arthur looked up and saw Alfred standing in the doorway, clad in his palace uniform. He looked a little hesitant, but had a beaming, friendly smile on his face.

"Uh...Kirkland?"

Arthur's eyebrow twitched downward and spoke.

"It's Arthur. But yes." The Queen immediately corrected the King, knowing that he would never be able to focus on his magic if Alfred was calling him 'Kirkland'.

Alfred let out a short laugh.

"Right, right. Arthur. Yao said you wanted to see me? You're going to help me break this weird spell that messed with my memory?"

Arthur nodded and gestured to the small, wood table that he had spread the magic circle on.

"Yes. Have a seat. Let's begin."

Alfred stepped into the room, and sat down at the seat across from where Arthur was standing.

"So what are we going to do?"

Arthur sat directly across from Alfred at the small table and cleared his throat.

"First, we need to determine what properties were in the potion that you drank." Arthur gestured to the large collection of samples to his side. "So I am going to manually test each one."

Alfred tilted his head to the side.

"Manually? Couldn't we just find out with another spell?"

Arthur shook his head and started unscrewing a nearby jar filled with dried plants.

"Potions are a lesser magic, Alfred. They are old, and very cryptic, due to the fact that they are rarely used anymore. If we use advanced magic as an approach, we will not find the answers that we are looking for."

Alfred nodded, trying to take in the information that the man in front of him was saying.

"We'll have to fight old magic with old magic, huh..." Alfred looked at the written magic circle in front of him, before looking up at Arthur and smiling. "Well I'm sure we'll figure something out!"

Arthur let out a short smile, realizing that Alfred's personality appeared to have been completely unaffected by the potion's effects. Feeling a little weight lifted from his shoulders, Arthur set the jar to his side.

"Here's hoping." Arthur straightened his posture and looked directly at the King. "Let's begin then."

Alfred mimicked Arthur and sat up a little in his chair.

"Alright. What do we start with?"

Arthur held out his hand towards Alfred. It hung in space for a moment before Alfred realized what Arthur wanted. He placed his own hand in Arthur's open palm. Arthur then looked down, using his other hand to open a small, nearby box. Arthur removed a silver knife from the box, and Alfred's eyes immediately widened a little.

"Uh...Kirkl-Arthur? What are you-"

"Potions' magic only react once inside the body. Your blood will aid us in finding out what is afflicting you."

Alfred's face went a little pale.

"You need my blood?"

Arthur looked up, a calm look on his face.

"Only a little."

Alfred frowned slightly but the sighed.

"Fine. Just do it quick?"

Arthur said nothing but brought the knife up to Alfred's hand. The King flinched, immediately screwing his eyes shut as he felt a sharp prick at the center of his palm. Arthur let a few drops of the King's blood fall in the center of the magic circle, then immediately set the knife aside. Arthur placed his hand over the cut on Alfred's hand and mumbled a short incantation. The wound on the King's palm quickly closed, and Alfred slowly opened his eyes as he felt the pain dissipate from his senses. Arthur let go of the King's hand, and Alfred brought his hand closer to his face.

"Whoa." Alfred murmured in disbelief.

Arthur cleaned the knife's blade on a handkerchief before returning the knife to its case.

"If it still hurts, I'll take a better look at it later." Arthur said as he returned his attention to the King in front of him. Alfred shook his head, opening and closing his hand for good measure.

"You're amazing..." Alfred said, looking at his completely healed hand.

Arthur blushed slightly at the honest praise and reached for a vial.

"...Next, I need you to place your hand here." Arthur pointed to a specific position on the magic circle. Alfred complied, then watched in amazement as the paper magic circle released a very feint, blue light. Arthur spoke up again.

"This magic circle is now in sync with your magic output. From here, we simply need to find out which of these magical properties reacts to you."

For the next several minutes, Arthur removed countless samples of magical properties, plants, and stones from their jars before placing them on a specific portion of the paper circle. When there was no response, Arthur would remove it, and quickly move on to the next sample. About an hour in, Arthur was beginning to lose hope. He was rapidly going through the majority of the samples he had collected, and was beginning to think that whatever property was in the potion may not be housed in the Spades' magic library. In the process, he had begun ruling out what the potion was _not_. Arthur had started with deadly properties that if made into a potion would slowly strip away memories until Alfred remembered nothing. He was glad when he realized that none of these were the culprit. The same held true for many of the potions that affected brain activity or any of the long-term poisons. However, this was as much as he had figured out though.

Frustrated, Arthur removed yet another non-responsive plant from the circle. Alfred's posture had slouched slightly, and he looked rather bored, but every time Arthur placed a new component on the circle for testing, Arthur could tell he tensed up a little in anticipation. After yet another non-responsive item, Arthur sighed and reached for another jar. It was an old, glass jar covered in a thick layer of dust. There were only a few samples inside. Arthur placed the strange, twisted black flower on the particular spot on the circle. Suddenly, bright blue light started pouring from the paper magic circle. The pair's eyes widened, as they pulled their eyes from the magic circle to each other.

"That would be it," Arthur whispered, amazed that they had been able to find the potion's main ingredient.

Alfred quickly leaned forward, almost rising from his chair.

"What is it? What type of plant is that?"

Arthur frantically grabbed the jar that the plant had come from. He wiped the dust from the tattered name label, and squinted at the old handwriting. His heart immediately fell.

Alfred leaned forward, frantically,

"What? What is it?"

Arthur did his best to quell the despair that had instantly begun to accumulate in his core. Then, he turned to the King and slowly let the plant's name roll off his tongue.

"Heartlocke."

Arthur was familiar with this particular plant. Heartlocke is a plant commonly studied in introductory ancient magic. The rare flower is native exclusively to Clubs, and was used in some of the earliest recorded years of Cards. Originally prescribed as a cure for heartbreak, potions made from Heartlocke erase all memories of romantic love interests, including any and all memories surrounding them. Eventually, with advances in magic, ethical problems, and the rarity of the plant itself, its use had completely disappeared from records for the past few hundred years. It is infamous, however, because there is no known antidote.

Arthur immediately went to the Jack's study to report their findings. On their way, they bumped into Matthew, who they took with them. Once before they Jack, Arthur told them what they had found out. Yao's face immediately hardened at the word 'Heartlocke', and Arthur explained to the twins what exactly the plant's effects were. Matthew seemed more worried, but Alfred looked genuinely shocked. After his explanation, the study fell silent. Yao wore a complicated expression, but spoke up.

"I heard back from the Queen of Hearts." Everyone looked at the Jack and held their breath as he continued. "Just as we predicted, there is no one who serves the house of Hearts who fits the description of the girl that Alfred gave us." Yao leaned forward on his bridged hands and though for a moment. "Now that we know that it is Heartlocke that has afflicted Alfred, I think we need to consider the possibility that that girl may be a servant of Clubs."

Arthur nodded grimly.

"I agree. Heartlocke is extremely scarce. Though if it were to be growing fresh somewhere, it would only be in Clubs." Arthur turned to Matthew, a serious expression on his face.

"Matthew. Have you mastered your invisibility and low-detection spells?"

Matthew nodded quickly.

"Yes, I have."

Arthur thought for a moment, then made a decision. He turned to fully face Matthew, a very grim expression on his face.

"Matthew. This will be your first assignment as Ace. You will go to Clubs and confirm whether or not this girl serves the house of Clubs."

The room fell silent and Matthew's face illuminated in alarm. Slowly he took a deep breath.

"Alright."

Alfred stepped closer to his brother, concern on his face.

"Are you sure, Matt?"

Matthew turned to look at Alfred. He stepped forward and placed his hands on Alfred's shoulders, squeezing gently.

"I'm the Ace, Al. No one will do this job better than me." Matthew stared at Alfred before the worry slowly dissipated from the Kings face.

"Right." The King's response was short, though filled with trust.

Matthew smiled before he turned back to the Queen and spoke. "I'll depart right away, Arthur. I will find out if this girl serves Clubs."

Arthur smiled at the Ace's audible resolve and nodded.

"Thank you, Matthew. We'll await your swift return."

Matthew bowed, and with conviction, quickly left the room to prepare for his departure. As soon as the door closed behind Matthew, Yao turned to Arthur.

"Do you think that you will be able to procure an antidote, Your Highness? I know that there is no recorded history of a cure to Heartlocke, but surely if someone were able to do it, it would be you."

He was right. Arthur had excelled with his magic studies and was recognized as a prodigy far before he had become the Queen of Spades. However, he could already feel that this was a far taller order than he had ever faced before. Arthur bit his bottom lip and thought for a moment.

"I will. I'll make some sort of antidote." Arthur wasn't sure if he himself was convinced by his statement, but he wanted to be. Yao gave an apologetic smile and let out a sigh.

"I have faith in you, Your Highness. I'll leave you to it."

Arthur nodded and turned on his heels towards the door, quickly leaving the room. The King followed after him, and soon, the pair of royals disappeared out the door.

Arthur made his way down the corridor, back towards the door to the magic dungeons. Alfred followed behind him, but said nothing. When they arrived at the door that led down to the dungeons, Arthur turned to Alfred.

"I'm going to begin researching an antidote. I'll call for you when I need you."

Alfred nodded, but said nothing, visibly lost in thought. Just when Arthur was about to close the door behind him and descend the stairs, Alfred caught the door, looking at Arthur frantically.

"Arthur!"

The Queen stopped, immediately looking back up at the King who stood one step above him.

"Yes?"

Alfred thought for a moment, and shifted where his fingers rested on the door.

"...Was I in love with you?"

Arthur stood in silence for a few seconds before speaking.

"It would seem that way, yes."

Alfred seemed almost apologetic before he began speaking again.

"Yao said that our marriage is set to take place a week from today, but..." Arthur raised his hand and cut the King's sentence short.

"We were going to be married whether you were in love with me or not. The effects of this potion will not affect our marriage date."

"Still..." Alfred frowned, obviously dissatisfied with the concept. Then he spoke again.

"Uh...I know it's not the exact solution, but have you considered making a love potion instead?"

Arthur frowned.

"A...love potion?"

Alfred nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not really an antidote, but it... it would at least put some things back to the way they were right? I mean, I don't want you to be bummed out, and this could fix everything!"

Arthur felt a disappointed feeling growing in his heart. He shook his head.

"Alfred, you don't know what you're talking about. Yes, while love potions are relatively easy to make, the love induced by love potions isn't _real_ love. It just creates a temporary high; a hyper-obsession that mimics love. I would sooner prefer you hate me before I would even think of casting a love potion on you." Arthur looked down, and his voice fell to a whisper. "It doesn't mean anything unless you love me of your own accord, Alfred."

Alfred's eyes widened a little, and his face felt a little warm. As this happened, he swore for a moment that the Queen's saddened profile looked incredibly familiar. However, just as quickly as the nostalgic feeling had stirred, it quickly dissipated and was replaced with a dull throbbing pain in his heart and head. He brought his hand to his face and winced slightly in pain. The Queen immediately took notice, and turned back to the King.

"Are you alright, Alfred? What's wrong?"

The King shook his head as his eyes fluttered back open.

"Yeah, my head just...hurts."

Arthur reached out his hand towards the King, before recoiling his hand, and gently patting the King's shoulder instead.

"Go rest, Alfred. I'll call upon you again tomorrow."

The King nodded, and while still clutching his head, made his way back down the hall. Arthur watched as he disappeared, and soon, let the door slide closed behind him.

.

Arthur delved fully into the task at hand. He flipped through countless magic texts, scrolls, and encyclopedias searching for any components that could be used to make a cure for Heartlocke poisoning. However, no matter where he looked, all he found was information pertaining to how it could not be cured. Arthur let out a weary sigh as he set another book aside, and reached for a new, thicker book. He didn't even notice when the Jack came to stand in the doorway.

"Your Highness."

Arthur looked up from his book at the Jack, standing a few feet away. He looked back down.

"Hello, Yao." Arthur turned a page in his book before speaking again. "Is something wrong?"

"You never came to dinner, so I thought I would check on you."

"Dinner?" Arthur looked up, puzzled, before removing a pocket watch from his vest and looking at the face. It was well past dinner, and Arthur had hardly eaten anything that day. However, the urgency in his heart was currently fending off any feelings of hunger. Arthur put his watch back and returned his eyes to the magic text in front of him.

"Sorry. I hadn't noticed."

Yao frowned.

"Your Highness, why don't you come upstairs. You can accompany me for a drink."

Arthur looked back up at Yao. The only other time Arthur had had drinks with Yao was after the previous Queen's funeral. They had not done it since. Arthur knitted his brows and looked back down.

"I really should get back to-"

"Lord Arthur."

Arthur looked back up at the Jack who had cut him off. Yao wore a concerned look and offered a small smile.

"Please. Take a break, Your Highness."

Arthur held the Jack's gaze for a moment before he let out a defeated sigh and closed his book. Shortly after, he stood, and followed the Jack out of the magic study and back up to the main floor of the castle.

Arthur sat in the castle's bar room, and drummed his fingers on the top of the cool, mahogany table in front of him. Yao had briefly disappeared, but returned shortly after holding two glasses and a tall, chilled bottle. When he got closer, Arthur immediately recognized the blue liquid in the bottle. Teardrop Ale. Arthur's spirit of choice, the light blue liquor was brewed from the same fruit that shared its name, and after being aged for half a century, it acquires a strikingly high alcohol content. A few years prior, Arthur had the drink on a regular basis, but since the Queen's death, he had mostly stuck to tea.

Yao set a glass in front of Arthur and poured some of the liquid into the glass before repeating the gesture for himself. Arthur eagerly took a sip, calmed by the familiar taste. He was immediately thankful that he had eaten so little.

"I take it the antidote research is not going so well."

"The outlook is very grim, Yao. I can't find any history of anyone even getting close to curing Heartlocke poisoning."

Yao sighed.

"Were you ever able to tell Alfred your feelings, Lord Arthur?"

Arthur looked up at Yao, caught off guard.

"You knew?"

"I'm reserved, Your Highness. Not blind. And I've known you for quite a while."

It was true. Yao had known Arthur for several years. Arthur was fifteen when the previous Jack died and Yao received his mark, and by then, Arthur had already been living at the palace for a few years. In fact, Arthur had accompanied the previous Queen to verify Yao's mark and bring him back to the castle. Over their years in the castle, Yao had grown very familiar with Arthur's temperament, and was rather quick to notice changes, no matter how subtle.

Arthur rested his head on his open hand, remembering his own confession to Alfred. He heart fell.

"I told him a few moments before the potion took effect."

Yao said nothing, but took a sip of his own drink before speaking.

"I see." Yao paused for a moment. "Your Highness. It may very well be impossible to find a cure for Heartlocke. His Excellency may never get back those memories that he lost. But your feelings were indeed mutual. Even if he lost his love and memory of you, it is very possible that King Alfred may fall in love with you again."

Arthur set his empty glass down, disappointed that his buzz was doing little to quell the despair growing in his heart.

"...it's what I fear most, Yao."

The Jack tilted his head to the side, slightly confused.

"What is?"

Arthur sighed as he poured himself another generous glass.

"That he won't fall in love with me again."

Yao frowned as he took another sip of his drink.

"Why wouldn't he?"

Arthur paused and rubbed the back of his neck in visible displeasure.

"...You know I'm not exactly someone who falls in love on a regular basis."

"I am very aware of that, Your Highness."

Arthur looked at his glass.

"Rather than believing in a love based on fate, I think that falling in love is purely situation and chance. Just a number of variables that line up just right; a one in one thousand occurrence." Arthur shook his head lazily. "Odds that never seemed to work out for me." Arthur stared at his reflection in the light blue liquid before speaking again. "Falling in love with someone is a highly improbable chance, Yao. And even if Alfred loved me once, he may not fall in love with me again. This may have been my only shot."

By now, the Teardrop Ale was doing a lot of the talking for Arthur. Even with Yao, Arthur would normally never speak so openly about his feelings and emotional concerns. However, this did not mean that they were not legitimate.

Yao thought for a moment.

"What an unromantic approach to love."

Arthur let out a cynical laugh.

"I know."

Yao set down his glass and looked at the Queen.

"Your Highness. You and King Alfred will be married in a few days time, regardless of if this Heartlocke spell is broken. Nonetheless, you and King Alfred are my dear royals, and I want you to be happy. Even with your twisted approach to love, please know that there is always the chance that Alfred could fall in love with you again, regardless of if his lack of memories." Yao's face darkened. "However, Your Highness. Whoever did this to King Alfred did it on purpose; and with malicious intent, no less. We mustn't let them believe that they can so easily toy with the King of Spades. Please; for the sake of Spades, try your best to find an antidote."

Arthur nodded and stared into his glass, wondering if he truly would be able to.

.

Arthur stood alone in the dark forests of Spades. He couldn't remember why he was standing in the grassy clearing, but cold rain was pelting his face, and a deep feeling of hopelessness was stirring in his core. Arthur closed his eyes, letting the rain run over his face in an attempt to distract himself from the lump in his throat and the feeling of wanting to cry. Suddenly, he felt the presence of someone else in the clearing. There was no sound of footsteps, but as Arthur turned around, he saw Alfred standing just a few feet away. He wore a warm smile and was looking at Arthur with unwavering eyes. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but found that his voice was gone. He tried again and again to say something, but his voice would not come out.

Alfred smiled an began making steps towards Arthur until they were mere inches apart. He leaned closer to Arthur and brought a hand to the side of Arthur's face. As Arthur looked at the King, he realized there was a warmness and familiarity in his eyes. Alfred knew him. He remembered him. Alfred then smiled a little sadly and gently caressed his knuckle down Arthur's cheek.

"Shhh, Arthur...why are you crying?" Alfred's voice was a warm whisper that fell upon Arthur's ears like velvet. How he had missed that tone.

Arthur then realized that what had once been cold raindrops had become warm streams pouring from his own eyes. Normally, Arthur would have been highly embarrassed to be crying so shamelessly in front of someone, but instead of embarrassment, he only felt a warm sense of relief. He felt as though a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Arthur reached up to rub tears from his face, but found Alfred's hands were already there. The King slowly rubbed the soft pads of his thumbs across Arthur's face, wiping the tears away. Arthur's eyes fluttered closed at the intimate gesture and let out a relieved sigh. Alfred spoke again, his voice low and reassuring.

"It's okay Arthur...I'm right here..."

Shortly after, Arthur felt a pair of soft lips gently connect with his cheek and proceeded to leave a series of kisses where the tears had once been. One of Alfred's hands fell from the side of Arthur's face and moved to his waist, pulling him closer to him. Arthur complied eagerly and wrapped his hand's around Alfred's back, realizing how starved he felt of the King's gentle affection. He let his face rest on Alfred's shoulder, quickly trading the cool sensation of the rain for his King's warmth.

"Arthur..."

The King's voice came again, and Arthur opened his eyes and leaned back a little to look at his face. Alfred let his cerulean eyes bear into Arthur as if he could never desire anything more. The King looked at Arthur through his lashes before he closed his eyes and gently let his lips meet Arthur's.

The darkness of the forest intensified, and soon nothing was visible, but among the darkness, Arthur's voice finally came forth, mumbling a single word.

"Alfred..."

Arthur's eyes slowly opened and were met with sunlight pouring into the Queen's quarters. He squinted, as he realized that the whole scene had been nothing but a dream. However, the feeling of wanting to be kissed by Alfred remained present even in reality. Arthur sat up slightly, immediately aware of how his head throbbed. The Teardrop Ale had indeed helped him to sleep deeply and well, however he could already tell that he had quite a hangover. Arthur looked at the ornate clock by his bedside and sucked in air. He had overslept. For one who usually awoke just after sunrise, the fact that he had slept until well after nine was alarming to him. Arthur slowly sat up, mumbled a short spell to diminish the effects of his hangover, and prepared getting ready for the day.

Arthur made his way down to the main hall. He walked into the breakfast room and was immediately met with the sight of the King. He was sitting at his usual spot in his palace uniform, sans his palace jacket, and his tie was tied messily around his neck. He was just finishing an apple, but there were an array of different plates spread out in front of him, suggesting that he had already eaten quite a lot. As Arthur came into the room he looked up and offered a friendly smile.

"Morning."

Arthur pushed down the persistent memory of his dream and greeted the King as normally as he could.

"Good morning." Arthur made his way to a teapot in the middle of the table and poured himself a cup. Alfred's eyes followed him the whole way, and after he chewed a bite of apple he spoke.

"You look awful."

Arthur let out a dry laugh.

"Thanks..." Arthur came to sit at the Queen's chair beside Alfred. "I drank too much last night."

Alfred nodded and swallowed.

"I heard. Yao said you put away a whole bottle of Teardrop Ale. He told me to make sure you ate something."

Arthur sighed before he took a sip from his tea.

"Fine." He wasn't particularly hungry, and he was more interested continuing his production of an antidote. Arthur set down his tea cup and turned to the King. "I need you to come with me today. We'll be testing a handful of different antidotes."

Alfred nodded nonchalantly.

"Sure." The King reached into a nearby bowl of fruit and produced another apple. "But first, I've got to make good on what I promised Yao." Alfred set the apple directly on a plate in front of Arthur. "Eat. Then we'll go."

Arthur sent Alfred a slightly irritated stare, before the King's cerulean eyes resurfaced the memories of his dream. Would Alfred ever hold him and kiss him like that again?

Arthur blushed a little at the memory before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Fine."

.

One apple and a breakfast sandwich later, the pair of royals headed to Arthur's magic study. Alfred sat on a chair and waited patiently as Arthur ground, steeped and brewed a multitude of different magical properties into potions. Alfred watched Arthur's back as he worked swiftly.

"How exactly is this going to work?"

Arthur looked over his shoulder briefly and poured a potion into a glass.

"We'll be testing a number of different potions. We'll start with general all-purpose dispelling potions, then some antidotes for various love and memory-altering potions, and finally a few that are a combination of the two."

Alfred nodded and drummed his hands on the table in front of them.

"Sounds fun."

Arthur brought a tray with a number of small glasses on it, each glass filled with a different potion. Arthur set the tray on the table in front of him and pulled out a notebook with the potions listed, so that he could keep track.

"If we are able to properly dispell the Heartlocke, you will most likely loose consciousness."

Alfred nodded and then swallowed nervously.

"And if it doesn't dispell it?"

Arthur set a glass in front of Alfred and gave a nervous smile.

"Then it'll just taste terrible."

.

Alfred tried one potion after the next. Glass after glass, Alfred tried the strange liquids, however the only observable reactions were the bitter and sour faces that Alfred made after trying each concoction. About an hour in, they had tried upwards of thirty potions, but none had caused any type of change in Alfred's condition.

"Arthur...can we stop for today?"

Alfred looked up at Arthur with pleading eyes. The last four potions had been impossibly bitter, and the King desperately wanted to salvage what remained of his taste buds.

Arthur looked at the countless failed antidotes and nodded.

"Yes. Let's stop for today." Arthur closed his notebook, and stood up. He went over to a side table and poured a glass of water, he handed it towards Alfred who stood up and took the glass. He sipped at it eagerly, trying to rid the taste from his mouth.

Arthur let out a defeated sigh.

"Sorry."

Alfred looked up at Arthur, confused, while swallowing a gulp of water.

"For what?" Alfred set down his now empty glass on the table below of him. "If anything, _I'm_ sorry. I'm the one who drank the Heartlocke. I'm the one who accidentally poisoned myself." Alfred looked down, visibly upset. "If I hadn't taken that stupid potion, none of us would be in this situation, and you wouldn't even have to be running yourself ragged trying to make this antidote for me."

Arthur looked at Alfred's downcast profile. It was times like these when he would usually be doing everything he could to comfort Alfred. Arthur's thoughts returned to the dream he had, and his mind began to wander. How would Alfred react if he kissed him right now?

Arthur reached up tilting Alfred's face up towards him, and took a step forward, allowing their bodies to get closer. Alfred's blue eyes met Arthur's, looking a little surprised. Arthur felt his heartbeat quicken, knowing that he was taking a big risk, but he knew he couldn't stop himself now. He let his voice out in a low whisper.

"...Can I kiss you?"

Alfred's eyes widened and color visibly rushed to his face. His eyes flitted down for a moment before meeting Arthur's again and stuttering out his own whispered response.

"Did...did we used to kiss?"

Arthur felt a small flicker of disappointment at the realization of how Alfred had truly forgotten him. Defeated, Arthur dropped his hand from Alfred's face and was about to turn away, when he felt Alfred's hand catch his wrist. The King's face was flushed, but nonetheless, he slowly leaned a little closer to Arthur. Alfred's voice came out in a steady whisper.

"Alright."

Arthur's eyes widened a little, not expecting Alfred to comply so easily. Nonetheless, Arthur leaned a little closer. Arthur watched as Alfred lidded his eyes slightly. His body was tensed, but he stood calmly where he was, his eyes scanning over Arthur's face. Arthur slowly let their faces slide closer together and gently let his lips meet Alfred's.

Many months prior, Alfred had been the one to initiate their first kiss. Though now that the tables had turned, Arthur was currently testing the waters with an Alfred who didn't know him, and didn't love him yet. Arthur could feel how tense Alfred's lips were against his own. However, a mere second passed before Alfred immediately relaxed and leaned a little closer, matching his mouth's movements to Arthur's. The Queen relaxed as Alfred's tension quickly melted away. He kissed Alfred gently a couple of times before Arthur slowly pulled away. What happened next, surprised him though. Alfred eagerly leaned forward again, recapturing Arthur's lips. Arthur was almost overwhelmed by how honestly Alfred was kissing him. The King gently curled a hand behind Arthur's neck, gently positioning Arthur's head so that he could kiss him better. The kisses that ensued weren't rushed, but lingering and gentle. Arthur couldn't be more pleased though. Between the misunderstanding caused by his rejection, their issues in Diamonds, and now Alfred's memory loss, they had not kissed like this in a very long time.

When Alfred finally pulled away, he leaned forward, resting his head on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur couldn't see Alfred's face, but judging by how Alfred had tensed his body again, it was apparent that he was thinking. Alfred then whispered out a single phrase.

"...Why does it feel so familiar...?"

Arthur thought for a moment, but before he could answer, he felt Alfred nuzzle a little closer to him, a hand coming up to wrap around Arthur's waist.

"...Why do _you_ feel so familiar?"

Alfred leaned back, and placed his hand on the side of Arthur's face. He stared at Arthur, looking for any sort of sign; anything that would resolve the conflict in his head, and apparently, his heart. His azure eyes were filled with uncertainty, and his expression grew more complicated as his eyes scanned over the Queen's face. Seemingly giving up, Alfred squeezed his eyes shut and his head slumped down.

Arthur smiled sadly. Alfred truly was trying to remember him despite his state. Arthur placed a hand atop Alfred's and stroked it consolingly. Alfred looked back up at Arthur, looking visibly upset with himself. Arthur spoke in a gentle tone.

"This is terribly complex black magic, Alfred. It will take some time for me to find a solution. But I promise I'll find a way to break this spell, alright?"

Alfred stared into Arthur's green eyes before his expression softened.

"Alright."

Arthur tugged Alfred's hand downwards and kissed the side of his hand. Much to his surprise, the King did not flinch at the intimate gesture.

"...Rest now, Alfred. I'll research other ways to dispell Heartlocke and call for you again when I'm ready to test them."

Alfred's eyes filled with trust and his frame visibly relaxed. He nodded a little and managed a weak smile.

Alfred, seemingly reluctantly, pulled away from Arthur and left the magic study to return to his room.

.

The next few days, Arthur worked tirelessly to produce an antidote. When he seemed to stop making progress with forming a tangible potion antidote, he began researching advanced magic remedies that may work. Because he no longer needed access to the potions' library in the dungeon, he had moved to work in the King's study upstairs with Alfred. While Alfred had resumed his royal paperwork, it was taking him far longer than usual to get assignments complete. Not just because he was under the stress of knowing he was under Heartlocke poisoning and worrying about Matthew who was still gone. But because Arthur had been the one to give him a lot of his primary training, this meant that there were holes in his knowledge of the Kingdom. Arthur had situated himself on the nearby couch in Alfred's study, so that whenever Alfred had a question, he was present to help.

Arthur had brought a stack of magic texts up with him, and was thumbing through a particularly thick one about all-purpose dispelling magic. So far, there was nothing that seemed promising. His eyes briefly flitted over to Alfred. The King hadn't asked a question in over an hour and had fallen rather silent. He was leaning his head on his fist, and was staring down at a paper in front of him with a tired and frustrated expression on his face. He blinked a few times before removing his glasses pinching the bridge of his nose. Arthur spoke up from the other side of the room.

"Need a break?"

Without changing his current position, Alfred spoke.

"Probably."

Arthur closed his text and set in on the table.

"Why don't we both take a breather?" Arthur watched as Alfred placed his glasses back on and turned towards him.

"What did you have in mind?"

Arthur thought for a moment.

"Chess?"

Alfred immediately made a sour face.

"No way. You'll just beat me in fifteen minutes like you always do."

The statement hung in the air as silence fell over the room. Arthur's eyes immediately widened in alarm as he turned to look at Alfred. Alfred seemed unaware of his statement for a few seconds. He held the sour expression on his face before it slowly changed to confusion, then his eyes widened in realization. He looked over at Arthur, equally alarmed. Arthur stood up and made his way around the desk where Alfred was sitting.

"How do you know that?"

Alfred brought his hand to the side of his head, wracking his brain trying to remember.

"I...I don't know."

"How did you remember that...?" Arthur paused and knelt in front of Alfred. "Do...do you remember anything else?" Arthur said, trying to rein in the pleading tone that was entering his voice.

"Honestly, Arthur...I don't ever remember playing chess with you...it just came out before I realized it and-I..." Suddenly, Alfred's eyes released a soft blue light as if he were trying to to cast a spell. The light flickered away, and Alfred pressed his hand harder into the side of his head, and squinted his eyes shut, seemingly in pain. Alfred let out a small groan, and Arthur leaned forward, concerned.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, my head just hurt for a second there..." Alfred slowly opened his eyes again, looking at Arthur apologetically. "I'm sorry, Arthur...I just can't remember anything..."

Arthur shook his head and stood up.

"Don't be sorry." Arthur made his way back to where he had been sitting, and began collecting his magic books. "Take a break, Alfred. I'll be back later this afternoon."

Arthur quickly headed towards the door. Alfred started to call out to stop him, however, just as he was able to raise his voice, Arthur was gone.

Arthur made his way down the hall towards the lower floors, his mind racing. This was good. Despite the fact that little was known about Heartlocke, aside from its unshakable potency, Arthur now knew something incredibly valuable. Heartlocke does not destroy or erase memories. It buries them. It makes them inaccessible. But it does not erase them. Somehow, a memory of Alfred's had briefly floated to the surface without him even being aware of it. Even though the memory had vanished by the time Alfred had even become aware of it, it had still been there.

.

Arthur made his way down to the dungeons and began collecting a new set of books in the magic library. There were very few spells that directly pertained to Alfred's specific situation, but at the very least, he may find something helpful with this new information. As he was moving a new stack of books, the Queen heard a voice call out to him.

"Art!"

Arthur turned towards the voice and saw the familiar face of his magic apprentice.

"Gareth." The Queen continued carrying the books into his study, and Gareth fell in step behind him. "What is it?"

"Have there been any changes in His Excellency's condition?" Gareth was one of very few magicians who had been alerted to Alfred's condition. Arthur shook his head as he set down his books.

"Not quite. Though I think I have found a direction to go in."

Arthur quickly explained what had happened just a few moments before. Gareth's eyes widened.

"That is remarkable. Though that really plays right into a theory I was wondering about."

"What theory?" Arthur leaned in, listening to Gareth's words closely.

"Art...at any point while King Alfred was remembering, did it look like he was releasing magic?"

Arthur thought for a moment, then thought back on the blue light that was briefly released from Alfred's eyes.

"A little, yes. It almost seemed like he was using magic."

"I knew it," Gareth said, and he readily flipped open the book he was carrying. "From the beginning, I was wondering how a spell like Heartlocke could be cast on the King of Spades. Heartlocke, while powerful and irreversible, should not have been able to cast perfectly on a King, who inherently has so much magical power."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. He was right. He had been so caught up in the actual make up of the potion itself that he hadn't even considered that Alfred has vastly more magic power than any average person. Gareth continued.

"A complex magic system is housed within each of the royals. We all know know this. What I hadn't realized though, is what this implies. The fact that Alfred was able to remember even a small memory of you while still being under the effects of Heartlocke is because his personal magic system behaves similarly to an immune system. It's actively trying to fight off and override the potion's magic."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"Really? Now that I think about it...that would make a lot of sense."

"Yes. Though from what I've deduced, this shouldn't happen automatically. There would have to be a deep will within Alfred for the system to be activated and fight the potion enough for him to remember a little." Gareth paused and looked down. "...He must have really loved you a lot, Art."

Arthur was moved by this statement, though he didn't show it on his face. Gareth's eyes suddenly turned grim.

"But...there's no guarantee that his magic system will be able to break the spell though. Heartlocke is still Heartlocke, and if his magic system is strained too hard to break the spell, it may start wearing him out physically."

"Then...what do you suppose would be my best plan of action?"

"Hmm...I would suggest trying to take His Excellency to places he may remember to try and bring his memories to the surface again. Coaxing his own magic to break the spell may be much faster than trying to procure a potion antidote." Gareth playfully nudged Arthur's shoulder. "Though if anyone were to make a successful antidote, it would be you."

Arthur smiled. Gareth was a good magician to have found these facts out, and Arthur was grateful to have this new information in his possession. The possibility of being able to break the Heartlocke spell no longer felt so impossible. Arthur spoke up.

"What books were you looking in to draw all of these conclusions, Gareth?"

Gareth closed his book and showed the title to the Queen.

"It's a book on the personal power systems of the royals. I figured the information in here may be helpful since we're dealing with a King."

Arthur leaned closer to book. That truly was a brilliant idea. Just when Arthur was about to inquire further on anything else Gareth had found, he heard a rustle at the door. Arthur looked up and saw Alfred standing in the doorway, a broad smile quickly falling from his face. Arthur blinked in surprise.

"Alfred...what's the matter?"

Alfred took a step back from where he was in the doorway, a new, visibly forced smile on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Alfred frowned in hurt disbelief before he turned and headed back down the hall. Arthur readily stood and made his way after the King. He briefly stopped in the doorway and turned back towards Gareth.

"Excuse me, Gareth. Some other time." Arthur said quickly before returning his attention to the retreating royal.

Alfred had made it halfway up the stairs exiting the dungeons before Arthur caught up to him.

"Alfred wait!" Arthur reached out and grabbed the King's shoulder only to have the King aggressively shake it off. "Alfred!" Arthur spun Alfred around, grabbing at the King's wrists. Taking a better look at the King's face, Alfred was wearing a hurt expression. Arthur dropped his voice to a gentle yet concerned tone. "Alfred, what's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Alfred raised his voice, frustration and anger apparent in his voice. "Fuck, I don't know!" Alfred tried shaking his fists away from Arthur, but his grip held tight. Suddenly a bright blue light was released from Alfred's eyes immediately followed by a a pulse of magic so strong that the entire palace seemed to shake on it's foundation. A stone or two fell from the dungeon ceiling, and shy plumes of dust fell from above. Alfred let out a groan of pain and clawed at the fabric over his heart as he lowered himself on the stairs in fatigue.

"Alfred!" The Queen lowered himself as well, trying to steady the King. Arthur's eyes widened. Gareth was right, Alfred's magic system was trying desperately to break the spell. However, with the expression of pain on Alfred's face, Arthur's concern only heightened. Alfred was releasing large outputs of magic, but more dangerously, he was casting magic with negative thoughts, which makes it extremely easy to loose control. Alfred's eyes flickered blue again, signaling that he was going to unleash another burst of magic. Arthur cast a few spells of his own to hold back Alfred's magic. Arthur quickly leaned forward, placing his hands on the sides of the King's face, and spoke in a low tone.

" _Alfred._ "

The King looked up into Arthur's eyes. The glow dissipated from his eyes, and his magic quelled once more. A new emotion flowed across Alfred's face. It was fleeting, but Arthur knew it instantly. A sad smile tugged at the corners of Alfred's mouth.

"Arthur..."

Arthur immediately knew. It lasted a mere second, but for that brief moment, Alfred knew who he was. Just as quickly as it had come, confusion clouded Alfred's eyes again, and the sad expression returned to his face. Alfred slumped his head in exhaustion, defeated.

"...Arthur..." The color had left his face and Alfred seemed completely worn out. Arthur ran his finger across the Kings face.

"I'm right here, Alfred..." Arthur leaned forward, gently pressing his forehead to Alfred's. Alfred screwed his eyes shut in frustration.

"I can't remember...I was so close-"

"I know. It's okay."

.

Arthur waited patiently outside of the King's room. Shortly after he had calmed him down, Alfred collapsed. He was taken to his room and was currently being monitored by palace doctors, as well as Yao. Arthur was allowed in, but in an attempt to seem more calm, he waited outside patiently for any news. Just when Arthur was about to approach the door, it opened, and Yao walked out into the hallway.

"Is he alright, Yao?"

The Jack frowned and shook his head.

"You were right, Arthur. It would seem that his magic system is overactive in an attempt to break the Heartlocke spell."

Arthur's eyes widened in alarm, but before he could say anything, Yao spoke again.

"His physical body is being exerted to excess in an attempt to break this spell. His magic is literally starting to destroy his body."

A dark expression clouded Arthur's face.

"No..." Arthur said, almost inaudibly. Yao leaned closer to the Queen and lowered his voice to a steady, yet urgent whisper.

"We need to find a way to break this spell, Your Highness. And quickly. If this goes on for very long, Alfred could very well be broken by his own magic."

Arthur's expression darkened. It could be very possible that _this_ was the true desired effect of the Heartlocke poisoning. Heartlocke is a notoriously unbreakable spell, however it is not inherently deadly. However, because it was cast on Alfred, who was a royal, the effect could essentially cause Alfred to destroy himself. Arthur looked back at Yao, a serious expression on his face.

"Have we heard any news from Matthew?"

Yao looked down.

"He has crossed the Clubs border. We were originally tracking his magic output. However, once he activated his invisibility and stealth spells, even we can no longer track him. We are having him send encrypted signals to our palace magicians every few hours. He should be near the Clubs capital by now."

Arthur nodded. Until Matthew returned with his findings, it remained impossible to know who to assign this blame to. Arthur turned and headed down the hall.

"I'm going to return to my work. Call for me, if there are any developments."

Yao bowed.

"Yes, Your Highness."

.

Arthur returned to his study, working adamantly to find some way to break the spell. Over the course of a few hours, he began weighing all of the information that he had collected, and tried thinking of any sort of solution. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to craft a spell to break the poisoning itself. For the time being, he settled on trying to make a spell that would cause Alfred's magic system to calm down, at least enough so that he wasn't such a danger to himself. Just as Arthur was about to practice casting the new spell, Yao burst into the room. Arthur turned to see the Jack out of breath with a panicked expression on his face.

"Yao? What's the matter?"

"Your Highness, have you seen His Excellency?"

"No, I haven't seen him. I assumed he was still resting in his room." Arthur paused, worry beginning to stir inside him. "Why do you ask?"

"Some of the staff went to check on him, but he wasn't in his room...we can't seem to find him."

Arthur set aside his spellbook and briefly closed his eyes. He could still feel Alfred's presence in the castle. He opened his eyes again and looked at the Jack.

"He's still in the castle, Yao. It feels like he's in the West Tower." Arthur headed towards the door, knowing that there was no reason for Alfred to be in that wing.

"I'll go find him."

Arthur quickly navigated towards where he felt Alfred's magic output and found him, slowly descending a glass stairwell in one of the farthest points of the West Tower. He was visibly worn out, and judging by his expression, he was doing everything he could to keep his magic under control. Arthur's eyes lit up in alarm.

"Alfred!" He rushed up the stairs to the King, and held out an arm to steady the visibly weak royal. "What are you doing? You were supposed to be resting!"

Alfred suddenly winced in pain before he shrugged off Arthur's hand and spoke.

"I was trying to find you, but I didn't know where you were, and I got turned around..."

Arthur frowned.

"Why didn't you just have someone fetch me? I would've come right away."

Alfred grimaced and shook his head, cutting Arthur off.

"I wanted to talk to you. Just you."

Some of the concern lifted from Arthur's face, but was still worried how apparent it was that Alfred was currently suffering under his own power. Arthur instinctively offered his arm again for support.

"I understand, Alfred. But I'm not going to sugar-coat this; our situation is dire. You need to rest. If you aggravate your magic much more, you'll-"

"It _hurts_."

Alfred's pained statement caught Arthur off guard. It was apparent he wasn't talking about his physical state. Arthur was going to inquire what Alfred meant when Alfred continued with a pained expression on his face.

"It hurts...It hurts to see you like this, Arthur. I don't remember you, but you're my Queen. I'm not blind, I can see how much my not remembering you is hurting you, and I can't stand it. But no matter how hard I try, I can't remember anything about you, and..." Alfred paused, the frustration apparent on his face. "...it makes me feel sick, and I don't know why."

Another rush of pain flowed through Alfred's core, and he stifled a groan. Arthur reached out, and this time, Alfred did not shrug off his hand. Once the fit passed, Alfred opened his eyes and looked at Arthur apologetically.

"...I'm sorry."

Arthur shook his head. While he had been unaware of these concerns that Alfred had, it restored something inside him. Despite his memory loss, something had happened that Arthur hadn't anticipated. Regardless of what Arthur had thought, for some reason, Alfred still cared for him in some way. Arthur gently rubbed the side of Alfred's arm consolingly.

"There's no need for you to apologize Alfred, I'll forgive you every single time." Arthur paused for a moment, before looking up into Alfred's eyes. The azure pools were filled with pain and were searching for answers.

"Alfred. You may have forgotten me, but my..." Arthur paused for a moment, bracing himself for the incredibly vulnerable statement he was about to make. "...My feelings haven't changed."

Arthur moved his hand from Alfred's side to the side of the King's face. He wasn't accustomed to saying it, and such a level of honesty was uncharacteristic of Arthur, however in this current moment, it came naturally to him. He gently ran his thumb across Alfred's cheek.

"...I love you, Alfred. God, I love you so much."

.

Neither one was sure of what exactly happened next.

Alfred's eyes widened at Arthur's statement, and a bright green light was suddenly released in a pulse that almost knocked Arthur backwards. He shielded his eyes but looked back just fast enough to see Alfred loosing his balance and beginning to fall towards the ground. Arthur rushed forwards to catch the King before he hit the ground.

"Alfred!"

Arthur looked at Alfred's unconscious face, as worry and confusion took over his senses. Then Arthur's eyes widened in shock.

.

Alfred stood in the murky darkness that surrounded him. It was eerily quiet, and everything felt uncertain. Through the deafening silence, something changed. He heard a voice. It was incredibly faint and muffled, but he understood immediately who it was. It was so familiar, and yet he felt like he hadn't heard his voice in a very long time. Alfred walked towards the voice, trying to seek out the source. The darkness slowly began to fade, and as the voice grew louder, Alfred felt a warmth that he had forgotten, and yet he knew it so well.

Alfred opened his eyes slowly. At first, he was unaware of his surroundings, but then recognizing the blue of the velvet canopy that was cast far above his bed, he knew he was in his bedroom. Alfred tried to blink some of the sleepiness away. He felt exhausted, but at the same time it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Slowly, Alfred became aware of the warm feeling on his hand. He looked over and saw the reason for it, and his heart lightened. He knew exactly who he was. Sitting in a chair at Alfred's bedside, there he sat. He had long since dozed off, as he had leaned forward, his head resting on the edge of Alfred's bed. His hand, however, was firmly wrapped around Alfred's, even in his sleeping state.

Judging by the shy beams of light that were just barely beginning to filter into the dim room, it was apparent that he had most likely been there all night. Alfred felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. Although Alfred had barely stirred, the sleeping Queen's eyes slowly opened. He looked at Alfred, and when he saw that he had awakened, he sat up a little. They held each others gaze for a moment before Alfred smiled at Arthur and finally spoke.

"I missed you."

Knowing what this meant, Arthur immediately leapt forward, wrapping his arms around Alfred. Alfred was quick to return the embrace, and held tight until Arthur leaned back looking frantically but excitedly at Alfred.

"Are you sure you feel alright?" Arthur placed his hand on the side of Alfred's face. He nodded.

"Yeah I feel fine." Alfred could barely blurt out his answer before Arthur spoke again.

"And there are no remaining voids in your memory?"

Alfred shook his head with a smile.

"I remember everything."

An expression of relief overtook Arthur's expression, and he let out a sheepish laugh. He pulled Alfred close again, hiding his own face as he leaned against Alfred's shoulder.

"Thank God."

For the first time in Cards recorded history, the Heartlocke spell had been broken. And just two days before the Spades wedding ceremony.

.

When Arthur finally released Alfred, he stayed put, laying parallel to Alfred. The pair lay facing each other for a while. Alfred stared at Arthur, finally relishing the state of knowing exactly who Arthur was. He felt as though he was seeing him for the first time in a very long time. Picking up on Alfred's gaze, Arthur was the first to break the silence, speaking in a low an gentle whisper.

"What is it?"

"...you really love me?"

Alfred's question caught Arthur by surprise. Although he had said it once in Diamonds and once the day before, Arthur still wasn't used to saying it. Some silence passed and Arthur felt some warmth travel to his face.

"Yes."

Alfred smiled.

"I love you too."

A visible blush tinted Arthur's pale skin.

"I know."

Alfred let out a short laugh and tucked his hand under his head as he lay looking at Arthur. He smiled at Arthur affectionately before his expression turned more thoughtful.

"Time really does fly. It feels like I've known you forever, but it really hasn't been that long."

Arthur thought for a moment then shrugged.

"Just over a year, I suppose."

"...but you're okay with marrying me?"

Arthur offered a gentle smile.

"Of course."

Alfred's expression softened. He knew that their marriage to each other wasn't optional, but it really made him feel better to know that Arthur was emotionally not opposed to it at all. In a system that rarely allows for it, they were entering into a royal marriage with a love already existing between them. Such a rarity was almost unheard of among royals, and Alfred truly felt lucky. He thought back to when he first met Arthur just over a year ago. He let out a short laugh.

"I remember when we first met, I thought you hated me."

Arthur smiled, recalling the same memory.

"Well, I was jealous for one thing. I wanted the King's role, you know. And you knew absolutely nothing."

Alfred was thinking of denying Arthur's statement, but quickly realized he wouldn't have much of an argument to back him up. Arthur continued.

"But I think you're exactly what Spades needed...You're exactly what I needed."

Alfred smiled. This time, Arthur watched as a blush overtook Alfred's face. As he watched Alfred, he recalled all of the days leading up to this. His mind settled on Alfred's obvious anxiety when he realized that he would be having an arranged marriage. Arthur's smile fell a little.

"Alfred...you were so worried about the Queen appearing and being forced into a marriage."

"Yeah."

"And...you're really okay with marrying me?"

The surprise on Alfred's face indicated he had not expected Arthur to pose this question, but nonetheless, he thought about it. Several moments passed by, and Arthur began to grow more nervous with each passing second. Just when Arthur was beginning to fear that Alfred was still against it, Alfred spoke.

"Hmm...well, normally, I would've wanted to go on a few dates, at least.

Arthur finally relaxed and let out a short laugh of disbelief.

"We're getting married, Alfred. And yet you want to date me?"

"Hell yeah."

The pair laughed in unison before Arthur's expression returned to a soft smile. He slowly threaded his fingers between Alfred's.

"Fine then. I promise that once we're married I'll start dating you."

Alfred let out a small laugh and tightened his grip around Arthur's hand. His blue eyes flitted down to where his fingers were intertwined with Arthur's and spoke.

"Arthur...I uh...I know that it will happen regardless in our situation, but at least allow me to take a little initiative." Arthur blinked in confusion. Alfred let his eyes meet Arthur's again, his gaze overflowing with affection. "Will you marry me, Arthur? You know, so that we can start dating?"

Alfred couldn't remember another time when he had seen Arthur laugh so happily. Arthur looked back at Alfred, a warm and honest smile on his face.

"Of course."

.

.

Ivan sat atop his throne in the Clubs palace, a stony expression on his face. A small shadow slinked into the room, completely silent. However, she did not go unnoticed by Ivan. When the shadow stayed where she stood along the far wall, Ivan called out to her.

"What is it, Natalia?"

"...The Spades Ace is in Clubs as we had hoped, Your Majesty."

Ivan smirked darkly.

"Excellent. Be sure to let him know he's... _welcome_."

Just as soon as the shadow had appeared, she was gone from the throne room. Ivan leaned his head on the back of his fist.

"The Spades Ace will soon fall, and the Spades King will perish by Heartlocke...and the Queen shortly after..." Ivan suppressed a small laugh. "The entire house of Spades will fall before the Spades wedding will even take place."

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

Author's Notes

-What a chapter!

-So... how _was_ the spell broken? There are two possibilities...what do _you_ think it was? :)

-We got lots of face-touchies and hand-holdies and cute-kissies because I am a shameless fluff addict who enjoys nothing more than copious amounts of buttery fluffy goodness

-Dark times are on the horizon for our royal couple...what will become of them?

-Thank you for reading The Last Spade so far!

.

If you like this story, the best way to tell me is to leave a review! They really do fuel my writing and encourage me to keep going!


	8. Chapter 8: Careless

Matthew swung his scythe in front of his body as another blow knocked him backwards. A icy, burning sensation exploded across his body, and he stumbled to his feet, quickly trying to ignore the searing pain across his face and body. Matthew turned and continued his flee from his pursuer, but she was reading his every move. Somehow she was able to predict all of his stealth and invisibility spells. The scariest thing was, however, that she wasn't trying to drive him away; she was mercilessly trying to chase Matthew towards the Clubs castle. Every time Matthew briefly fled in the direction of the castle, the merciless assault would end, but the moment he began to try and make his escape away from the looming royal towers of Clubs, she would attack relentlessly from the shadows, pelting Matthew's body with disorienting blows and painful magic.

Nevertheless, Matthew continued his flee away from the Clubs palace, his lungs burning and his muscles spent. The more he moved, the more he became aware of how incredibly injured he was. He had no time to check, but he could feel countless open wounds and bruises on his limbs with every step, and his face was wet with what he assumed to be blood. As he pushed through the thick, wintery brush of the Clubs landscape, the shadow was right on his tail, constantly firing attacks that Matthew was doing everything to dodge.

Just when he was wondering if the attacks were beginning to subside, Matthew felt a blast from his back. A fiery pain flooded his senses, and soon, he felt his line of vision grow dark.

.

.

Alfred tossed lightly between the cool sheets of his bed, slowly stirring from his sleep. As his eyes slowly opened, he looked around his bedroom. His room was still dim, but he could tell that dawn was just beginning to light the sky. His attention was then pulled to the gentle sound of breathing beside him. Arthur was under the covers, curled up right beside Alfred. He was still clad in his clothes from the previous day, and with just a few buttons undone for the sake of comfort, his Queen's mark was barely visible. Arthur's breathing was slow and even, and his comfortable expression suggested that he was in the depths of a very peaceful slumber. One of his arms was draped across Alfred's chest, but aside from that, it was apparent that Arthur hadn't moved much in his sleep. He was far from disheveled, in fact, if he wasn't so busy admiring him, Alfred would have felt a little jealous.

Today was the morning of the Spades' royal wedding. The two royals had spent the last two days frantically preparing for the ceremony, and practicing the ancient script of their vows, and by the evening before, their nerves had finally begun to the best of them. After they had completed all of their preparations, they had met after dinner to spend some time together. At first, they were just wandering through the castle talking about no subject in particular, but later they had settled down to talk in Alfred's room. Once they had realized how late it had gotten, Arthur was originally going to return to his own room, but because they both felt particularly reluctant to separate, he ended up sleeping in Alfred's room.

Traditionally speaking, the Queen was not supposed to sleep in the King's chambers until after the wedding had taken place, so Arthur had promised the night before that he would leave early in the morning before anyone noticed. So they ended up talking late into the night, entangled in each others arms.

Alfred looked at the clock near his bedside. He knew that soon the palace staff would be coming to their separate chambers to wake them, and Arthur needed to be getting back to his room. Alfred reached down and gently brushed some of the bangs from Arthur's forehead. Arthur shifted slightly and let out a content sigh, but remained within the depths of sleep. Alfred smiled a little. In all honesty, he really didn't want to disturb the Queen who looked so comfortable, however he knew that once the sun rose, they would be hearing a knock on the door.

"Arthur?" Alfred whispered the sleeping Queen's name, but he did not stir.

"Arthur..." Alfred leaned closer to the sleeping Queen and gently brought his hand to the side of Arthur's face. When he still did not wake up, Alfred smiled and leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to Arthur's.

"Mm."

Arthur let out a short moan beneath Alfred and slowly moved his lips to match Alfred's. Alfred pulled back to look at Arthur, and felt his heart skip. Arthur was looking up at him with a warm and loving smile on his face. It was a smile that Arthur reserved for Alfred alone, and it still managed to take his breath away. Arthur let out a short laugh and placed his hand on Alfred's cheek before he let his voice out in a whisper.

"Morning, love."

Alfred's heart pounded warmly in his chest as he smiled at him.

"Morning."

"I could get used to that, you know."

Alfred blushed a little at Arthur's statement and shifted back away from Arthur.

Arthur laughed.

"Really? You kiss _me_ awake, and _now_ you're embarrassed?" Arthur shifted himself closer to Alfred so that he was almost on top of him. Arthur lowered his voice back to a whisper. "If you're going to do something, Alfred, don't do it halfway." Arthur leaned down and kissed Alfred and let his hands wander across Alfred's body. Alfred instantly melted into Arthur's touch and his mind was quick to go blank, he pulled Arthur closer to him. Arthur moved his attention to the side of Alfred's neck and Alfred spoke before all reason slipped from him.

"Ah. Arthur..."

"Hmm?"

"...you have to go back to your room."

Arthur slowly pulled away, a disappointed look on his face. Arthur sighed and shifted off of Alfred.

"Your loss."

Alfred smiled.

"Don't look at me like that. What are you going to say if Yao or the staff ask why you're in here with me?"

"I fell asleep in here accidentally?"

"You weren't supposed to sleep in here at all..."

Arthur briefly rested his head on the back of his hand.

"Would you have preferred if I slept in my own room?"

"No! I—" Alfred interjected a little too quickly. Arthur's mouth curled into an entertained smile, as Alfred tried to collect himself. "...I'm not saying I had a problem with it. But you could get into trouble."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow at Alfred's statement.

"Really, Alfred? Pray tell; what are they going to do to me? Lecture me on my wedding day?"

Alfred thought for a moment.

"You have a point. But still—"

Arthur raised a hand to stop Alfred mid-sentence.

"I'm kidding. I understand. Besides, it was me who told you I would be out of here by dawn." Arthur leaned forward and rested his face on Alfred's shoulder. "...I just wanted to stay here for a few more minutes, that's all."

Alfred's eyes widened, surprised by the sincerity of Arthur's statement.

"...Are you nervous, Arthur?"

Arthur shrugged and rolled his eyes.

"As much as I would like to say no, we both know the actual answer."

He was right. The night before, they were both more than a little nervous, which had led to their current predicament. Not really wanting to be left alone with their own thoughts, they spent the night talking over light topics and holding each other.

Arthur abruptly sat up and got out of bed.

"I'll be heading back to my room, then."

Alfred sat up and grabbed his glasses off of the side table. He too, slid out of bed to fall in step behind Arthur.

"I...guess I'll see you in a few hours then?"

Arthur paused at the door, actively buttoning his shirt closed. He smiled at Alfred.

"Of course. I'll see you in a few hours." Arthur leaned forward and gently kissed Alfred on the cheek as he opened the bedroom door. "See you."

Arthur quietly slipped out of Alfred's room into the dim hallway and closed the door behind him.

Alfred stood alone in his bedroom by the door, alone with his thoughts. Their wedding was scheduled for early afternoon, so in just a few hours he would be married. Alfred's heartbeat quickened a little. He was excited, sure. He was more than happy to be marrying Arthur. But he was nervous. After the wedding, the general public would be seeing their faces for the first time. He wondered if the people of Spades would be accepting of how young he was. He was still just barely nineteen. And then of course, there was what came after the wedding ceremony...

There was a quick knock at the door. Just when Alfred was about to reach for the door and ask if Arthur had forgotten something, it opened. Yao entered the room, and practically jumped to see Alfred standing there.

"Your Excellency! Goodness, you scared me..." Yao placed his hand over his heart, as the surprise slowly began to fade from his face. "I was coming to wake you...but I see that you are already up." Yao then furrowed his brows. "It's rather unusual for you to be up this early. Is everything alright?"

Alfred laughed dryly and scratched the back of his head as he moved away from the door.

"...Just nerves, I guess."

"Ah."

Yao nodded, understanding.

"There isn't a royal in all of Cards who is not nervous on their wedding day, Your Excellency. I understand entirely. But no need to be so nervous. While the royal weddings in Hearts and Diamonds are public spectacles, here in Spades, the main ceremony is private. The only people who will witness the wedding will be You, Arthur, and me."

Alfred felt a little better after being reminded of this. He was right, this was definitely better than being wed in front of a bunch of strangers. There would be a celebratory ball in the evening, but it wouldn't be anything that he wasn't already used to. He let out a small relieved sigh.

"You're right."

Yao smiled a little.

"Remember, after the main ceremony, you will go out on the balcony to be seen by the Spades citizens. While exercising the proper security, the palace front courtyard will be open to the public, so any Spades citizens who want to come are welcome to do so. Because of this, expect to see a crowd when you come out; we have no idea how many people will be coming to witness. This will be the first time that you and Arthur will be presented to the public after all. But this will be a joyous occasion. I'm sure the people will be very pleased, so please rest easy."

Alfred nodded, trying not to dwell on just how many people would be coming to see him.

"...Alright."

Yao clapped his hands together.

"Well then, let us prepare. We have much to do for the ceremony this afternoon."

.

The hours that followed were so packed that Alfred barely had any time to think at all. After a very brief breakfast he took in his chamber, Alfred was fitted with his clothes for the wedding ceremony. They were very similar to the clothes he wore for his coronation; a cobalt suit adorned with the country's symbol, and a long royal cloak that trailed behind him. He was also required to wear his crown for the ceremony, which was something he hadn't worn since his coronation. The metal crown was heavy, but he was quick to forget he was wearing it. He reviewed the ancient script that he and Arthur would recite together, as well as his own vows. The vows for Spades royal weddings are mostly set and not to be revised too much, but both Alfred and Arthur had altered their vows slightly to suit them accordingly. By the time that Alfred had finished reviewing everything for the ceremony, it was only a half hour before it was set to take place.

Alfred paced nervously outside of the throne room, waiting for Arthur to arrive for the ceremony. There were royal knights lining the hallway standing at attention, waiting for the ceremony to take place. Alfred was going over the necessary spells for the ceremony in his mind in a restless attempt to distract himself from the sounds of the crowds outside the castle. Alfred had not dared to look, but the fact that he was already able to hear hundreds of muffled voices coming from the front courtyard was beginning to make him feel nervous again. Alfred rubbed his hands on the material of his pants in an attempt to get rid of the sweaty feeling and resumed pacing slowly. The heavy fabric of his ceremonial garments slowed him down as the sapphire-colored cloak flowed behind him.

Finally, Alfred heard the echo of footsteps coming towards him. He turned to look, and his jaw nearly fell open. Making his way towards him was Arthur, in full royal attire. He was dressed in garments nearly identical to Alfred's, but Alfred felt the air that Arthur gave off was completely different than his own. Everything about Arthur seemed to scream 'royalty', and Alfred really couldn't believe that Arthur wasn't noble by birth. For a brief moment, Alfred's mind went completely blank as Arthur approached him.

Arthur stopped just inches from Alfred. Alfred frantically tried to find the adequate words to tell Arthur how breathtaking he looked, but the words refused to assemble in his brain properly.

"Hey," Alfred said quietly, kicking himself for being unable to come up with more eloquent words.

"Hello." Arthur said, seemingly having some difficulty looking away from Alfred himself. Though Alfred was too distracted to notice.

"...Ready?" Alfred said, offering his hands to Arthur's. The Queen took them with no hesitation.

"As ready as I am able to be," Arthur whispered, leaning a little closer to Alfred. The King was surprised to feel that Arthur's hands were shaking ever so slightly. Arthur wore a thick wall of composure today, but at his core, it seemed he was just as nervous about today as Alfred was. Alfred tightened his grip on Arthur's hands warmly, gaining some confidence to know that he and Arthur were standing on common ground.

"Don't worry. Everything will go great, I promise."

Arthur looked into Alfred's cerulean eyes and nodded. Slowly, the light trembling in Arthur's hands seemed to subside, and Arthur leaned forward, resting his forehead on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred let Arthur stay this way for as long as he needed it. They were about to go forth with a day that was no doubt going to strenuous for both, especially for Arthur, who was the grandson of the previous Queen. He wanted Arthur going into this day as relaxed as possible.

Alfred gently stroked the back of Arthur's hands with his thumbs, and lowered his voice to whisper in Arthur's ear.

"...You look fantastic."

A few seconds of silence passed before Arthur tightened his grip on the King's hands.

"As do you."

Arthur pulled away from Alfred's shoulder and released his hands, a light blush tinting his face.

At that moment, the doors of the throne room creaked open. Yao appeared in the doorway, wearing his own set of ceremonial garments. He smiled, seeing the pair of royals standing close by. He looked from Alfred to Arthur, then spoke.

"Everything is in order. Are we ready?"

The pair looked at each other then took a deep breath. They turned back to Yao and nodded.

"Yeah."

"We are ready."

Yao smiled and bowed.

"Excellent. Let us proceed."

The pair followed Yao into the throne room, and the heavy, ornate doors closed loudly behind them.

.

The throne room was an especially calming place on a day like today. The heavy doors and cold stone walls muffled the sound from the outside completely, and the high, stained-glass windows scattered diamonds of blue light across the room. The trio of royals made their way down the long walkway to the end of the throne room, and stopped in the round open area right before the thrones. Yao stood before them, and spoke in a loud and formal tone, that echoed throughout the empty throne room.

"As Jack of Spades, I would like to commence the Spades royal wedding ceremony." Yao turned to Alfred.

"King Alfred of Spades. If you would call forth the heart of Spades."

Alfred took a deep breath.

"Yes, Jack." Alfred closed his eyes and began reciting a spell.

While the Spades royal weddings were always private, the marriage takes place before the Spades' heart; the magic system that supports Spades. While it is usually never moved from the dungeons of the castle, for the wedding alone, it is moved to the throne room to be ceremoniously sworn upon. This is a tradition that all of the countries of Cards used to practice, however, now only the country of Spades continues this practice. Unlike the other countries, magic is still a very vital part of royal marriages, and thus, the Spades' heart aids in this.

Alfred finished his incantation, and felt a burning sensation over his heart and core. Slowly, the large, blue orb of light began to rise from the floor before the three royals, bathing the throne room in soft blue light. The soft, ticking echo of a clock emanated from the the Spades' heart as it floated in place, and Alfred let out a quick sigh of relief, knowing that he had pulled off the spell successfully. Yao stood beside the Spades' heart and spoke.

"We are here on this day before they very heart of Spades itself to bind the souls of the King of Spades and the Queen of Spades in marriage. As the current Jack of Spades, I agree to verify and oversee this royal marriage and its permanence. May your vows be known throughout all of time." Yao turned towards Alfred. "King Alfred. Please offer your vows to the Queen."

Alfred turned to Arthur, taking his hands in his own. During his rehearsal, he had struggled to remember the lines of his vow, but in this current moment, the words seemed to flow naturally from his lips.

" _Queen Arthur of Spades:_

 _As King of Spades, my heart is yours, and likewise my life is yours._

 _I love you for all that you are, all that you represent, and I bind my heart and soul to you._

 _I promise to love you loyally until the end of my time_

 _With all of my magic, may I become your sword; I will be by your side, protect you, and defend you for all of the days of my life_."

For all of his seriousness, a brief, warm smile tugged at the corners of Arthur's lips before he returned to his serious expression. Yao turned to Arthur.

"Queen Arthur. Please offer your vows to the King."

Arthur took a deep breath, and spoke.

" _King Alfred of Spades:_

 _As Queen of Spades, my heart is yours, and likewise my life is yours._

 _With these words, and all of the words in my heart, I bind my heart to yours_

 _I vow to love you for who you are, and for who you have yet to become_

 _With all of my magic may I become your shield; I will be with you, support you, and guard you for all of the days of my life_."

Alfred's heart pounded warmly in his chest as he squeezed Arthur's hand's a little tighter. Yao spoke again.

"King Alfred of Spades, Queen Arthur of Spades.

Do you swear to love and honor each other,

through times of darkness and in times of light

to love each other loyally and lend strength to one another

and swear your lives to each other until death parts you?"

Without breaking their eye contact, Alfred spoke.

"I swear."

After Alfred's answer, Arthur too, spoke.

"I swear."

Yao nodded and continued.

"Well then, Your Excellencies. If you would please exchange the rings."

The pair released their hands and retrieved the rings that they had been given several days prior. The thick, platinum rings were almost identical, set with a large sapphire and accented with the country's symbol. Alfred carefully slid the ring onto Arthur's finger. Once done, Arthur returned the same gesture for him. A complex happiness overtook Alfred as Arthur slowly slid the ring onto his finger.

Once the rings were exchanged, they took each others hands again. They took a deep breath before the two royals spoke in unison.

" _Let these rings become a symbol, in visible form, of the unbroken circle of both our love and lives,_

 _so that wherever our souls may go, we may always return to our shared life together._

 _May these rings become our bond, and represent our intertwined fates and combined power._

 _I swear my love before you and all of Spades_

 _I bind my heart and soul to yours until the very end of time itself,_

 _In this life and, all which comes after._

 _I swear this upon my heart, and upon the heart of all of Spades itself._ "

Shortly after they finished speaking, the Spades' heart released more light, and the faint ticking sound from within the heart temporarily grew louder. However as soon as it happened, it faded back to it's original state. Yao spoke.

"The Spades' heart has accepted your vows. Your marriage is now a permanent and obsidian link in the history of Spades. Thus, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as the King and Queen of Spades. You may now seal your vows and marriage with a kiss."

Finally, Alfred let a smile spread across his face. As he leaned forward, he briefly saw a smile on Arthur's face before he gently captured his lips.

Alfred recited the Spades' heart reversal spell, and the glowing ball of power slowly retreated back to the belly of the castle dungeons. Yao clapped his hands together and stepped forward, a smile on his face.

"Excellently done, Your Excellencies! Congratulations! That was lovely."

Alfred let out a light laugh, already feeling much better than he had that morning.

"Thank you Yao."

Yao quickly turned on his heels towards the throne room door.

"Come now, Your Excellencies. Now that you are wed, it is time for you to finally be presented to Spades!"

Alfred and Arthur turned to look at each other and slowly followed behind Yao. Once outside the throne room, a small group of royal guards began escorting the royals through the castle towards the balcony. The door to the second floor balcony was only a short walk away. As they made their way towards the door, they could already hear the noise of the crowds from inside the castle. Once they reached the double doors, they all stopped. Yao paused at the door.

"Whenever you're ready, Your Excellencies."

Alfred turned to look at Arthur who was wearing a calm, unchanging expression. Alfred wrapped his hand tighter around Arthur's.

"...Ready?"

Arthur lightly squeezed Alfred's hand and took a deep breath. Finally he nodded.

"Yes."

Alfred looked back to Yao.

"Open the doors, Jack."

Yao nodded, and slowly pushed open the double doors leading to the balcony. Sunlight poured in from the open doors, and the sound of the people went from muffled, to almost deafening. Slowly, the pair of royals stepped out onto the balcony. Alfred was amazed with what he saw.

The courtyard was completely full of people, cheering and waving the spades flag. And it wasn't just the courtyard. People flooded out the gates of the castle and even seemed to stretch to the horizon. Thousands of people had come to see them. And what was most surprising was their reactions. Alfred had been terribly worried that the people would not be accepting of a set of such young royals, but as soon as he and Arthur stepped on to the balcony, the opposite seemed to hold true. The balcony was two levels up, but he could clearly make out the faces of several of the people They were smiling and cheering. Some were throwing blue flowers, some even appeared to be crying in happiness. They were young, and old; both children being raised up on shoulders and elders clinging to loved ones. And the cheers. They were filled with adoration, and love; some chanting 'congratulations', some yelling 'long live Spades'. There wasn't a face on the horizon who seemed displeased with the new King and Queen of Spades.

Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who was looking out at the crowd with a relieved smile. He turned to look at Alfred, and the King was taken aback. Arthur looked so relieved and happy, that he thought he even saw a few tears welling up in Arthur's eyes. Alfred's heart filled with happiness. Right here, in this moment, was everything that he had secretly hoped for. Arthur was happy, Spades was happy, and right here beside him was his love, holding his hand. He was so taken aback by the crowd and Arthur's expression that he had almost forgotten what he was supposed to do on the balcony. Alfred placed his thumb under Arthur's chin and tilted his face towards him. Arthur readily complied and let his eyes slide closed. The pair leaned forward and kissed on the balcony as cheers erupted from the crowd.

The two royals were escorted back inside the castle after waving to the crowds for several moments, and as soon as the balcony doors closed back behind them, the pair turned to each other in disbelief. They walked to a nearby window and watched as the crowds slowly began to recede. In Spades, there are usually festivals held starting the day of the royal wedding, so most people would be celebrating all throughout the week. They looked at the thousands and thousands of people as they began to recede back through the castle gates. Alfred turned to look at Arthur.

"They loved you." Arthur turned to look at Alfred. Alfred smiled and continued speaking. "I think she would be very proud of you."

Arthur thought of the previous Queen, the grandmother that he had admired so much. He averted his eyes back to the crowd.

"Thank you. I hope you're right."

.

The pair temporarily retired to their own separate rooms. There were still several hours before the royal celebration ball would be held later that evening, and Alfred had insisted on shedding his ceremonial garments to put on his normal castlewear. Both Arthur and Yao had followed suit as preparations for the ball began to get underway in the largest ballroom.

Just as Alfred had been finished tugging on his palace jacket, there was an urgent knock at his door.

"Your Excellency!" Yao's voice came from the other side of the door, in a loud and urgent tone.

"It's open, come in." Alfred called towards the door. The door quickly swung open and Yao appeared in the doorway. Alfred's hands stopped where the were on his jacket mid-button and looked at the Jack. There was a fearful and urgent expression on his face, and he was out of breath as if had run there. Alfred froze. That wasn't good.

"Yao...what's wrong?" Alfred said, fear beginning to stir in him as well.

Yao breathed heavily and tried to resume his calm exterior, but to no avail.

"...It's Lord Matthew..."

Alfred's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. A thick silence hung in the air for a few seconds, but felt like it dragged on for hours. Yao spoke again.

"...At the castle back entrance...He's..."

Alfred did not wait for Yao to complete his sentence. Alfred bolted from the room, past Yao, and sprinted down the hall. He heard Yao calling after him, but he did not slow. Alfred mumbled some spells under his breath that increased his speed ten fold as he sprinted through the castle down to the castle's back entrance. When he finally got there, he stopped in his tracks. He saw him. Standing near the castle's back entrance being held up some castle guards was Matthew. Alfred blinked back tears of horror. Matthew was in an almost unrecognizable state. The color was completely gone from his completion, and the entire left half of his face had deep, purple-colored burns and was covered in blood. His glasses were shattered and hung low on his bloodied nose. There were deep cuts, wounds and bruises across all of his limbs, and especially large bloodstains on his shoulder and stomach. He was slumped and shaking, barely able to stand if it weren't for the guards holding him up, and one of his shoulders was limp in a way that suggested that he wasn't able to move it.

Alfred's voice felt stuck in his throat as he looked at the horrific state of his brother, but soon he felt his feet carrying him forward as his voice ripped from his throat.

"Matt!"

Alfred's voice echoed through the hall as he ran towards his brother. When he reached him he grabbed on firmly, taking the brunt of supporting his brother's weight away from the guards. Alfred quickly barked some orders at some of the other nearby guards.

"What are you doing?! Go get help!"

Two of the guards bowed and took off deeper into the castle. Matthew shakily looked up at Alfred, his eyes slightly glazed over. His whispered voice came out in a dry, broken tone.

"...Al...?"

Alfred nodded, trying to smile at his brother through his own fearful tears.

"...Yeah it's me."

Matthew's eyes squinted weakly as if he was trying to focus his blurred vision.

"...did I make it...?" Matthew took a shaky breath as if he wanted to cough, but didn't have the strength to. "...did I...make it back...?"

Alfred felt his heart breaking to watch his brother in this state.

"Yeah, you made it, Matt."

Matt smiled weakly before his strength completely left his legs. Alfred slowly lowered to the ground with his broken twin in his arms.

"Matt!" Alfred called his name as he watched his brother's eyelids start to flicker shut and his eyes began to roll in the back of his head. Matthew's skin had grown eerily cold, and Alfred began to feel true fear stirring inside him. He spoke again, the lump in his throat causing his voice to quiver. "Matt hold on, we're going to get you help..."

Matthew weakly grabbed Alfred's shoulder and struggled to hold his head up to look at the King. He opened his mouth to speak. At first, no words came out, but then his dry voice came forth.

"...The girl who...poisoned you..." Matthew whispered as his strength began to slip.

"...serves Clubs."

.

Matthew lost consciousness and stopped responding. Shortly after, Yao, accompanied by guards and royal doctors rushed into the room. Matthew was carefully lifted into the care of the doctors and nurses and was swiftly rushed away towards the infirmary. Yao went with them. Alfred remained kneeling where the guards had taken Matthew from his arms. His mind felt rushed, and a heavy feeling was pulling at his gut. He slowly looked down at his hands which were covered in sticky, dark crimson fluid. Alfred's eyes widened as the gravity of the situation began to set in. _Matthew is going to..._

Alfred was just about to complete the thought, when he heard a voice call out to him from down the hall.

"Alfred!"

The King turned to see Arthur running towards him, alarm on his face. He wasn't wearing his usual coat or tie, which suggested he had been in the middle of changing when he got the news. Alfred felt relieved to see Arthur, and soon as he reached him, he stood and embraced him. Alfred immediately felt the tears begin to well up in his eyes again, the relief of seeing Arthur melding with the fresh memory of his brother's state.

"Arthur...!"

"It's alright, Alfred. Calm down." Arthur said soothingly, rubbing the King's back. He pulled away gently to look at Alfred's face. "Matthew...is he in the infirmity?"

Alfred nodded sadly.

"They just took him there now...I don't know, I..." Alfred looked down. "I've never seen him so weak...he looked..." _Dead_. But Alfred didn't dare say those words aloud. Not yet. Arthur seemed to pick up on what Alfred had implied. He took Alfred's hand in his.

"Come...For now, lets go to the infirmary. If I am familiar enough with his injuries, I may be able use some healing magic. But we must hurry."

Alfred perked up a little at Arthur's suggestion. Magic. Arthur had healed him many times before, and he was very good at it. Alfred nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

The pair hurried to the palace infirmary. A few guards stood at the door, but as soon as they saw the approaching royals, they bowed and moved aside. The pair quietly entered the infirmary. Alfred readily remembered the white walls and the small of disinfectant from the last time he had been here with Arthur. There were several royals nurses running about, fetching bandages and bottles containing strange liquids as the pair made their way into the room. Everyone was speaking in hushed but urgent tones, A dire feeling hanging in the air. Yao saw them from across the room and crossed to meet them.

"Your Excellencies..."

Arthur spoke up immediately.

"Is he stable?"

Yao lowered his head sadly.

"Not yet. The doctors have temporarily prevented his condition from getting worse, but we are still not sure how long that will last. It is apparent that Matthew was in a battle utilizing magic for a very lengthy amount of time."

Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly as if he was thinking for a moment.

"Is the head doctor with him?"

"Yes."

Arthur pushed past Yao without another word. Yao looked to Alfred, offering an apologetic expression before speaking.

"Go be with your brother, Your Excellency...please."

Alfred nodded and followed after Arthur deeper into the infirmary.

The royal doctor was an older gentleman with white hair and small glasses propped on the bridge of his nose. He was examining Matthew's shoulder when the pair of royals came over. He looked up and bowed.

"Your Excellencies,"

Alfred immediately went to Matthew's side and looked down in horror. He was still unconscious, and wore a pained expression. The doctors had since begun to clean some of the dried blood off of his body, but having done so, they had revealed that much of Matthew's upper body was covered in a rainbow of dark and putrid looking bruises. Arthur's eyes flitted from Alfred's saddened expression to the doctor and spoke.

"Have you checked his magic output levels?"

"No, Your highness, not yet. We've just called for one of the palace sorcerers to..."

Arthur closed his eyes and mumbled some incantations under his breath as a soft blue light overtook Matthew's body. Arthur frowned and released the incantation and spoke.

"...His magic levels are severely low. That must be why he isn't self-healing." Arthur looked at Matthew with a sad expression. "He really must have been fighting for a very long time." He turned back to the doctor with a stony expression.

"As of now, what are the serious wounds afflicting him, doctor?"

The doctor sighed wearily and grabbed a nearby notepad. He scanned it and began reading it aloud.

"So far...broken clavicle. Three fractured ribs. Partially collapsed lung. Potion-induced chemical burns on face and upper body. Dislocated right shoulder. Fractured hip bone. Several lacerations to skull and back." The doctor paused and looked up. "And he has lost a lot of blood. If he had been a normal person, he certainly would have died."

Alfred froze where he was beside Matthew, the fearful expression still on his face. Arthur looked at him out of the corner of his eye than looked back at the doctor.

"Do you think he would be receptive to healing magic?"

The doctor nodded slowly.

"Yes, at this point we have nothing to lose."

Arthur nodded and took a deep breath before turning to look at Alfred. He took a few steps closer to him and spoke in an even tone.

"Alfred," He paused before continuing. "Several of his injuries are extensive beyond the point of standard healing magic. I won't be able to heal him completely, but I might be able to make his condition stable, and maybe accelerate his healing process by several days. Weeks, even. Is that alright with you?"

Alfred nodded quickly. Arthur offered a small smile and turned back to the doctor.

"I am going to preform light-oriented healing magic to try and coax his magic levels to return to normal. If you would please step back."

The doctor bowed.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Arthur turned to Alfred.

"Alfred, step back a little."

Alfred slowly stepped away from his brother's side and watched in anticipation. Arthur's face grew serious as he mumbled a long incantation. A soft blue light took over Matthew's body. Alfred watched in amazement as several of the smaller cuts and lacerations on Matthew's body closed. The bruises seemed to lighten in color, and the large burn across the side of Matthew's face improved by several shades. The light dissipated, and Arthur let out an exhausted sigh. He slowly walked around to the side of the bed. He gently reached out and moved some of Matthew's curly bangs off of his forehead, observing the burn marks before speaking with a complicated expression on his face.

"His condition should stay stable for several hours. Hopefully that will be enough time for his own magic system to start responding again." He turned back towards the doctor. "But please spare no medicine nor treatment. I don't know when his magic levels will return to normal, and until then, he needs to remain stable."

The doctor bowed deeply.

"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you, Your Highness." The doctor then hurried off collect some of the medications and magical and herbal topicals from some of the castle nurses. Just as he left the room, Yao entered the room again. Upon seeing Matthew, he looked at Arthur.

"You've healed him, Your Highness?"

"As well as I was able to. He still needs immediate care, if he has any hope of making a recovery."

"Yes, of course." Yao said. He gestured towards the door. "Come, let us allow the doctors to do their work."

Arthur took a step towards the door before looking back at Alfred. He was still standing at his unconscious brother's bedside. His blue eyes were bearing into Matthew, a dark expression on his face. He was visibly lost in thought. Arthur came to Alfred's side, speaking in a gentle tone.

"Alfred...let's let the doctors work for now." He paused. "He'll be alright."

Alfred slowly let his eyes fall from Matthew and nodded shallowly.

"...Yeah. Alright."

Alfred slowly followed Arthur, and the three royals left the infirmary room.

Yao gathered them in the hushed corridor outside of the medical wing of the castle. Yao let some silence hang in the air before he turned towards Alfred.

"Your Excellency. Did Matthew say anything before he lost consciousness?"

Alfred was staring ahead, making eye contact with no one in particular. There was a long pause before Alfred nodded gravely.

"He said the girl who gave me Heartlocke poisoning serves Clubs."  
Both Yao and Arthur sucked in air at the revelation, but Arthur appeared particularly upset. Yao spoke slowly, in a calm, yet angered tone.

"The girl who poisoned you was a servant of Clubs after all..." He took an eager step towards Alfred. "Did he say anything else? Was it a royal?"

Alfred shook his head grimly.

"That was all he said. He lost consciousness immediately after."

There was silence for a moment, then Arthur spoke.

"Do you supposed that this girl is also the one who attacked Matthew...?" Arthur asked, noting how the burns on the Ace's face were most certainly caused by magic. Yao shook his head at a loss.

"We cannot be sure of that until Lord Matthew wakes up, but it certainly has a high possibility." Yao frowned. "Clubs attacking both His Excellency and Lord Matthew...is this an active declaration of war?"

A hush fell between the three royals. Alfred shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. Just a few moments ago, he was having what was measurably one of the happiest days of his life. He had married Arthur. The people had accepted them. The whole country of Spades was bathed in celebration. But now, his brother was beaten beyond recognition. Clubs was responsible. And now the possibility of war that he had been dreading seemed all but inevitable now. Yao spoke, noticing the change in Alfred's disposition.

"In any case, we will not have any true answers until Matthew awakens. We will have to wait until he recovers." Yao cleared his throat. "I will speak to the palace sorcerers about monitoring both Matthew's magic outputs and inform them of this growing threat. You two, just rest until the ball this evening." Yao began to walk away, but paused before Alfred. He reached out his hand, placing it on Alfred's cheerless shoulder. "We are with you, Your Excellency. Matthew will surely recover, and we will find who has done this."

Alfred offered a sad smile.

"Thank you, Yao."

Yao offered a consoling smile, and with that he left, down the halls to the belly of the castle.

Arthur turned his attention back to Alfred, whose smile had fallen once more. Arthur took some steps towards the Alfred, wrapping his arms around him. Alfred was quick to return the embrace. Arthur immediately began to notice that Alfred was trembling a little. For all of Alfred's positivity and external confidence, this was the first time Arthur had seen him so close to tears. Arthur knew that there was little he could say to console the King given their situation. When they finally pulled away, he brought his hand to the side of the King's face. He looked into Alfred's downcast, azure eyes and spoke in the gentlest tone he could.

"Is there anything I can do, Alfred?"

Alfred closed his eyes and shook his head. He wrapped his hand around Arthur's and gently pulled it from his face, holding it in his own.

"...I just want to be alone for a little while."

Arthur thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright."

Alfred had never specifically requested to be left alone before, so Arthur figured he must truly need space if he was asking for it. Arthur leaned forward and kissed Alfred on the jaw.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything."

He offered Alfred's hand a gentle squeeze before letting go, and making his way deeper into the castle, leaving the King of Spades to be alone with his thoughts.

.

Arthur stared out the window of his bedroom overlooking the royal gardens. The weather was uncharacteristically good and the sun was shining brightly on this mid summer day in Spades. Normally, Arthur would have been elated to have such a vibrant day to remember as his wedding day, but currently, his mind was running amuck with the dark events of the day.

Arthur was situated at the table by the window in his room. He had had a pot of black tea brought up to his room so that he could still take his afternoon tea. The slightly bitter taste usually helped to calm his nerves, but much of his cup remained full and had grown cold. He couldn't pull his mind away from Matthew's physical state.

There was a soft knock at the door. Arthur pulled his attention from the rose garden below his window and looked towards the door.

"It's open." Arthur called toward the door.

The door opened, and Yao appeared in the doorway. Arthur started to stand up, eagerly.

"How is Matthew?" Arthur wasted no time in immediately asking Yao questions.

Yao walked across the room to Arthur as he spoke.

"He is still stable, but no improvement yet. The doctors are still working on him."

"I see." Arthur settled back into his seat and returned his eyes out the window. His mind was quick to return to thoughts of the King. "And Alfred?"

"He is waiting outside the infirmary. I just finished seeing him. He is...distressed."

A painful feeling tugged at the Queen's heart. Arthur did not pull his eyes from the scene outside the window and spoke in a level tone.

"I see."

Yao pulled out the other chair opposite of Arthur. He observed Arthur in silence for a moment before speaking.

"Your Highness...are you alright?"

Arthur let silence hang in the air before he whispered out his response.

"...This is my fault."

"What?"

"I'm the one who gave the order for Matthew to go to Clubs." Arthur's eyes bore into the garden below as he spoke, and he clenched his fist on the table. "I should have waited for him to complete more of his training...or even sending him as a unit with guards as opposed to alone—"

"Your Highness." Yao quickly cut the Queen off. "No one could have predicted any of this."

"But it still happened." Arthur turned from the window to look at Yao. His green eyes were filled with guilt as he spoke.

"This is the very thing that I was most afraid of—what if I'm not fit to be making these choices? To have lives in _my_ hands?" Arthur ran his hand through his hair in frustration, creases forming on his forehead as he looked down at the table before him. "What if Alfred's brother _dies_ because of me?"

"Your Highness." Yao raised his voice and Arthur looked up at Yao. The Jack spoke calmly. "Matthew is _alive_ because of you."

Arthur stared at Yao, dumbfounded.

"...What?"

Yao continued.

"I've just come from speaking with the doctors, and if you hadn't intervened with your healing magic, Matthew would indeed be dead right now. Because of you, he is stable, and his magic has a chance of full recovery."

Arthur's frame visibly relaxed a little.

"...Really?"

Yao nodded before he continued speaking with a comforting smile on his face.

"And the information that Matthew brought back with him is exactly what we asked him to find out. Please, Your Highness...don't doubt your competence so much. You are acting exactly as you should, and you are doing just fine. Trust me; as your Jack, I would tell you if you were doing something unwise." Yao paused and looked down for a moment. "Because you and Lord Alfred are still quite young for royals, my role as an adviser has been temporarily heightened, but trust me when I say that you are doing just fine."

Arthur offered a smile, feeling a little better.

"Thank you, Yao."

The Jack smiled as he slowly stood from his chair.

"The Ball will be beginning in a few hours. I will send up some of the maids to help you get ready." Yao turned on his heels and started towards the door. "I'll go tell the King that it is time to get ready as well. Guests will be arriving before we know it."

Yao turned and bowed before exiting Arthur's room, leaving the Queen alone once more.

Once the door echoed closed behind the Jack, Arthur's thoughts began to intensify once more. He felt a little better about their situation, but he still felt terrible. Would Matthew even be able to recover? And Alfred. Did Alfred blame him for Matthew's state?

Arthur shook his head, attempting to dislodge the negative thought, and stood from the table. The ball would be starting soon. He needed to prepare.

.

The sun had just sunk below the Spades horizon when the ball was about to commence. Arthur made his way down the hall towards the ballroom, admiring the countless candles and sapphire decorations that lined the main hallways leading to the castle's largest ballroom. He could already hear the countless voices of the nobles and guests talking in the ballroom. The orchestra had also already begun to play. Arthur quickly turned down a side hall and entered the small, royal waiting room that the pair had always met in before coronations and official festivities. As Arthur closed the door behind him, he surveyed the small room and quickly found Alfred, leaning against the wall, looking out at the dimly lit royal garden. He was clad in his best royal suit and looked absolutely radiant. However, the melancholic look painted across his face genuinely didn't suit him. Arthur walked closer to the King, and Alfred was drawn out of his thoughts. He looked over at Arthur, a more relieved expression on his face.

"Arthur..."

Arthur stopped right in front of the King and offered the best smile that he was able.

Some silence passed between them before Arthur finally broke the silence. His eyes scanned over Alfred.

"You look very n—" Arthur paused when his eyes fell on Alfred's tie; the only thing about him that was visibly ruffled and out of place. Arthur frowned. "You tied that yourself, didn't you."

Alfred looked confused for a moment before he looked down at his tie. The saddened expression melted away a little and he let out a short laugh.

"I couldn't help it, I was in a hurry!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and smiled a little.

"Come here."

Alfred leaned a little closer to Arthur and allowed the Queen to take the tie into his hands. Arthur's fingers moved quickly, undoing the blue strip of fabric and tying it into a neater tie. He spoke softly.

"What would you do without me?"

Alfred shrugged.

"Walk around with no tie?"

Arthur shot Alfred a how-dare-you-even-suggest-such-a-thing look, and Alfred laughed again. His broad smile quickly began to fall again, however. He spoke again.

"...I really don't know."

Alfred's voice was quiet, and the Queen wondered if he were talking to him, or to himself. Arthur looked up at the King, his expression pained once more. Alfred quietly spoke again.

"Have you heard anything about Matthew?"

Arthur returned his eyes to the strip of fabric as he finished tying the new, neater knot.

"He's still stable. But we won't know anything else until morning."

"Oh." Alfred's response was uncharacteristically short, and Arthur let his eyes meet the King's again as his hands fell from the tie.

"Alfred?"

The King slowly wrapped his arms around Arthur, holding his body close to him. Arthur said nothing, but returned the embrace without hesitating. As they stood in the quiet, empty room, Arthur slowly spoke.

"Are you nervous?"

Arthur felt Alfred shake his head.

"Not about the ball, no. I'm used to them by now."

"I see. That's good." Arthur slowly released his hold on the King and looked into his eyes. They were filled with hurt, so Arthur tried to speak as gently as possible. "Alfred, I know it will be very difficult, but try not to think about it too much. I'll be with you throughout the whole ball, but just tell me if you're tired, alright?"

Alfred nodded.

"Alright."

One of the side doors to the room opened, and Yao made his way into the room.

"Your Excellencies!" Yao paused at the door. "Are you ready to begin the ball?"

Arthur looked at Alfred, who was wearing a forced, yet very convincing, smile. He spoke.

"Yeah, let's begin, shall we?"

The royals walked into the grand ballroom. The large room was decorated in the most regal fashion, the large crystal chandeliers overhead were illuminated in thousands of candles. There was an orchestra playing music along the far wall. The large glass windows were open, overlooking the main inner gardens. And there were countless guests in formal wear, walking about while talking and drinking.

Yao turned to face the couple.

"For now, mingle about the guests and thank them for coming. I'll speak with the staff to make sure everything is in order, and I'll find you when the orchestra is ready to begin the traditional first dance."

Yao bowed and slowly made his way into the ballroom, and the pair of royals were left to begin their Wedding Ball.

The royal couple walked about the ballroom greeting the countless nobles that had attended the Spades' royal ball. Many of them were patrons and supporters of royals for generations, and simply wanted to be acquainted with the faces of the new royals. Arthur was on especially high alert. The last time they had attended a ball, Alfred had accidentally taken a potion from a stranger when he wasn't looking. And while he highly doubted that Alfred would ever repeat something that reckless, it didn't stop him from scanning everyone and everything that came near him or Alfred.

As they made their way through the ballroom, something caught the King's eye, and he pulled Arthur in the direction if it.

"Wait, Arthur...what is all that stuff?"

Arthur came to Alfred's side and glanced in the direction that he was looking. Near the entrance of the ballroom on a long, marble table, there was a mound of decorative boxes and flowers. He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh. Those are our wedding gifts." The pair stepped closer to the mound of wrapped gifts as Arthur spoke. "The people who attend these celebrations often bring gifts for the royal couple. Most of these are from people in attendance, but some are sent from far away." As the pair scanned the table, Arthur pointed at a large, red box, making his point. "See that one there? It must be from King Ludwig. It has his royal seal on the side of the box."

Alfred looked at the seal and smiled.

"Hey, you're right!"

Arthur smiled at Alfred, happy to see that at the current moment, he was very distracted. Alfred looked down the table.

"That must mean that Kiku sent us a gift too—" Alfred's sentence stopped short as his eyes settled on a new item. "...Wow."

Arthur turned to look at the object of Alfred's interest, and he too, was awestruck.

At the edge of a table sat an enormous flower arrangement. The arrangement stood taller than Alfred, and was far wider than the pair standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Who do you think sent that?" Alfred said, trying to fully take in the enormity of the bouquet. Arthur briefly looked around the side of the flower arrangement and reached for a card that was attached to it. He opened it and cocked an eyebrow. Arthur looked up at Alfred questioningly. The King blinked, confused.

"What?"

Arthur nonchalantly waved the card around in his hand.

"You certainly are popular with Queens, aren't you?" Arthur opened the card and held it out in front of Alfred, revealing that the card had the Queen of Diamond's royal seal on it. Alfred's face lit up.

"It's from Lili!" Alfred remembered the small royal, and how he had met her during their last trip to Diamonds. Arthur sent a small, accusatory look at Alfred's reaction before the King immediately spoke up. "Wait—Arthur, I told you it's nothing like that!"

"I know, I know. I'm kidding." Arthur set the card back down among the flowers. "...I think."

Alfred knew that Arthur was half-joking. But half of his statement felt serious. With resolve, Alfred stepped forward and slowly curled his hands around Arthur's waist. Arthur looked up, a little flustered.

"...What?"

Alfred dropped his voice to a whisper and smiled.

"Don't worry. You're the only Queen in all of Cards who has my heart..."

Alfred leaned forward and gently kissed Arthur's lips. It was very brief, but it was just enough to stir butterflies in both of their cores. As Arthur's eyes fluttered back open, he looked thoroughly convinced.

"Alfred..."

"Yeah?"

"They're staring."

Alfred glanced around the room and noticed that quite a number of the guests had their eyes on the royal couple, happily watching the events taking place. Alfred blushed and quickly let his hands fall from Arthur's waist.

"Oh."

Arthur smiled at the embarrassed King's endearing behavior and spoke.

"How did you and the Queen of Diamonds even become friends?"

Alfred scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"I don't know...she's small and quiet...in all honesty, she kind of reminds me of—"

 _Matthew._

Alfred's thoughts immediately flew back to his brother, and his smile quickly fell. Arthur instantly knew who Alfred was talking about, and felt bad for having asked. Just when Arthur was debating what to say, he saw Yao pushing his way towards them through the crowd of guests.

"Your Excellencies," Yao paused when he reached them. "The orchestra is prepared to begin the waltzes. Are you ready to open the ball's first dance?"

Arthur looked from Yao back to Alfred, who was still visibly a little distressed. He spoke gently.

"Alfred...would you prefer to wait a bit before we begin the first dance?"

Alfred looked back up at Arthur and offered a smile.

"No, I'm alright. Let's start the dance."

Arthur saw right through Alfred's terribly forced smile, but nonetheless, nodded.

"Alright." Arthur turned back to Yao. "Tell the orchestra that we are ready."

"Yes, Your Highness." Yao bowed and hurried off towards the orchestra. Arthur turned back towards Alfred spoke.

"Are you sure Alfred? We can wait a little longer if you'd prefer..."

Alfred took Arthur's hand in his as the pair slowly began heading towards the center of the ballroom. He gave a gentle smile.

"I believe I've been promising you an official first dance for quite a while now, Arthur." Alfred stopped in the center of the ballroom, as the guests began to clear the floor for the royal couple. He brought Arthur's hand to his lips, kissing the area just below his ring. "...May I?"

Arthur sucked in air, knowing Alfred had absolutely no idea how incredibly attractive he looked in this moment. The Queen finally found his words again and smiled.

"Of course. I've been waiting."

Arthur placed his other hand on Alfred's shoulder, and the King in turn placed his hand on Arthur's waist. Once the orchestra began playing, the pair began their dance.

The Spades' waltz was a straightforward dance with eight steps. Arthur remembered how much trouble Alfred had with the dance when he first began his lessons. But now, Alfred was executing the dance with grace and precision. Alfred had a smile on his face, and he seemed to be enjoying himself, but every now and then, there would be a flicker of sadness that would run through his blue eyes. When the dance finally came to an end, the crowd of guests applauded. The new song began, and this time, many of the other couples began to take the dance floor. Arthur, however, began pulling Alfred away from the dance floor. When they were finally out of the way of the other dancing couples, Alfred spoke.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to dance anymore?"

Arthur turned to look at Alfred. The King's eyes were filled with concern, wondering if he had done something wrong. Arthur thought for a moment. He knew Alfred was offering to dance for Arthur's sake and not his own. There was no way that Arthur would be able to enjoy himself when he new Alfred was still feeling so down.

"Of course I would love to dance again, Alfred." Arthur paused and leaned a little closer to Alfred. "But I'm feeling a bit tired. Would it be alright if we rested for a bit?"

A relieved expression grew on Alfred's face. He nodded.

"Yeah, sure! That's fine." Alfred laced his fingers with Arthur's as they walked closer to one of the grand ballroom's far walls. "We can sit a few dances out. I'm actually kind of tired myself."

Arthur smiled, glad that Alfred had admitted how he was feeling. They were both very mentally exhausted from the events of the day. Arthur got an idea and spoke up.

"Alfred."

The King stopped walking and turned his head towards Arthur.

"Yeah?"

Arthur leaned close to Alfred's ear, dropping his voice to a whisper so that only he would hear.

"...Want to skip out?"

Alfred sent Arthur a surprised look before glancing around the room, nervously. He looked back at Arthur and spoke equally quiet.

"Really? Can we? I mean—I kind of want to, but are we even allowed to?"

Arthur laughed a little.

"It's our ball, Alfred. We can leave whenever we like. And besides..." Arthur looked briefly around the room. "Everyone is enjoying themselves so much, that I doubt they'll notice we've left for quite some time."

Alfred looked about the ballroom. Arthur was right, everyone was dancing and talking to their hearts' content. Even Yao could be seen at the far end of the ballroom, chatting with a group of people while laughing genuinely. Alfred returned his attention to Arthur, and offered a smile.

"Well then...shall we?"

Alfred offered his arm to Arthur, who linked his hand through it, and the pair quietly disappeared from the ball, no one being the wiser.

.

The pair walked through the halls of the castle, passing into the areas that had been closed off from guests. The sound of the music and people gradually grew fainter, and soon, the echo of their footsteps on the marble floors was the loudest thing they heard. Arthur led Alfred down a side hall before he spoke up.

"So...where are we going?"

"Away." Arthur turned his head to look at Alfred. "The main palace kitchen is currently in chaos because of the ball, so lets use the smaller kitchen near the bar and wine cellars."

The pair turned down a few more dim hallways before arriving at the castle's bar. Alfred had never purposefully been in the room before, since in Spades, he is not yet of legal age to drink. However, once in the room, he wondered if he should frequent the quiet corner of the palace more often. Much of the room was covered in deep mahogany, and the decor was warm an inviting. Behind the bar there was an array of shining glass bottles holding what must have been hundreds of different spirits, and a small kitchen was connected in the room just behind the bar.

Once in the room, Arthur gestured to the table.

"Sit down, I'll be right back." Arthur turned and quickly retreated to the room behind the bar. Alfred sat at the polished wooden table and stared down at his reflection on the table's shiny surface. Arthur was only gone for a few brief minutes before he returned holding a tray with an array of different items on it; a teapot, a plate of biscuits, and several small glass jars. Upon reaching the table, he immediately placed the plate of biscuits in front of Alfred.

"Here, eat something. You didn't have lunch." Arthur's statement was actually only a guess, but when Alfred slowly nodded, he knew he had guessed correctly. Alfred picked up a biscuit.

"Thanks." Alfred had been so worried about Matthew that he wasn't hungry enough to have lunch, but as he began eating, he gradually began realizing how hungry he had been. As he reached for another biscuit, he noticed Arthur opening one of the glass jars. Its contents seemed to be dried plants that Alfred had never seen before. Alfred spoke as he reached for another biscuit.

"What is that?"

Arthur began placing spoonfuls of the dried plants into the black teapot.

"Something to help you feel a little better."

Alfred stopped chewing.

"Not more potions, Arthur...after the last time I had a potion at a ball, I'm really not up for any second attempts..."

Arthur looked up and cocked an eyebrow at the King.

"Even from me?"

"Well...I mean..." Alfred wore a complex expression, knowing Arthur would never do anything to harm him, but he was still hesitant. Arthur's eyes flitted back to the work in front of him.

"Relax; this is just tea. It has various relaxing properties in it, but no magical properties whatsoever."

"Oh."

Arthur walked over to the bar to grab the kettle which had been warming since they had entered. Alfred leaned over and peeked inside the teapot and looked at the various dried flowers resting in the bottom of the pot.

"What's in this, exactly?"

Arthur returned with the warm kettle and began pouring the water into the teapot.

"The main property is a species of flower known as Chamaemelum nobile. I also used a few different types of lavender, and the rest is just my main tea base." Arthur finished pouring the water into the teapot, then set the kettle aside and closed the teapot's lid. "Three minutes."

The smell of the tea began to waft through the room with a floral, almost apple-esque fragrance. It was strangely soothing. Arthur pulled up a chair beside Alfred and took a biscuit from the plate. Amid the silence and the scent of the tea, Alfred slowly began to feel more relaxed. At least more at ease than he had felt during the ball. He laughed a little to himself.

"I wonder if I'll actually make it through an entire ball one day..."

Arthur shrugged as he finished chewing.

"I wouldn't. Even when I was still just a noble I usually ducked out about halfway through."

Alfred thought for a moment, trying to picture a younger Arthur leaving royal balls early. It was a little difficult to picture. Among all of the nobles and manners, Arthur always seemed so at home. Even today, it looked like he really was enjoying himself at the ball. Alfred looked back up at Arthur, feeling a little bad.

"Seriously though, Arthur. You didn't have to leave the ball for my sake. If you want to go back to the ball for a while, I really wouldn't mind—"

"Alfred." Arthur cut the King off and looked at him. "Why would I go back to the ball when the most interesting thing there is right in front of me now?"

Alfred felt heat rush to his face at Arthur's statement. Arthur stood and began preparing some teacups.

"I think we are both very mentally exhausted from today's events, Alfred. I think a break from everything will do us both some good."

Once Arthur determined that the tea had steeped long enough, he poured a cup for both Alfred and himself. He held out the cup to Alfred.

"Here."

Alfred took the cup in his hands, feeling the warmth through the cool, china cup.

"Thank you. Um..." Alfred's eyes flitted down to the cup before looking back up at Arthur. "...sugar?" Arthur frowned a little before letting out an exacerbated sigh. Alfred perked up. "Nevermind, nevermind! I don't need any!"

Arthur gently grabbed a nearby jar of the shining sweetener and brought it over with him as he sat down with his cup.

"There's nothing wrong with putting sugar in your tea." He pushed the small jar of sugar towards Alfred with a mild, judgmental look. "I _don't get it_ , but there's certainly nothing wrong with it."

Alfred laughed, picking up on the accusing edge to Arthur's voice.

"Just because I don't have masochistic tastebuds like you, doesn't mean you need to say it like that!" Alfred proceeded to put a few spoonfuls of sugar into the beverage before slowly taking a sip. Normally, Alfred really didn't care for tea, since most of the tea Arthur prepared was bitter for his tastes. However, this particular tea had a very gentle flavor. It was a warm flavor, and he instantly knew Arthur taken great care in making something suited to his palate. He turned to Arthur and smiled.

"It's good."

Arthur let out a small relieved sigh and returned the smile.

"I'm glad to hear it."

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while as they drank their tea. Once Alfred finished his, Arthur spoke.

"Are you feeling a bit better now?"

Alfred thought for a while. The beverage had indeed made him feel calmer. However, his thoughts still focused on his brother. His smile fell and a dark expression returned to his face. Arthur looked at the King, deeply saddened to see him this way. The feelings of guilt began stirring in Arthur's core once more as he stared down at the table in front of him.

"...I understand entirely if you're mad at me, Alfred." He paused." But I want you to know that I take full responsibility."

Alfred turned to look at the Queen beside him, confusion beginning to cloud his blue eyes.

"Arthur, what are you talking about?"

Arthur took a deep breath then dared to look at Alfred.

" _I'm_ the one who sent Matthew to Clubs. It was my order. No one else." Arthur looked down again, unable to maintain eye contact with Alfred. "It's entirely my fault that this happened to Matthew at all. Because of my miss, Matthew has..."

"Arthur." Alfred cut Arthur's statement short as he quickly reached out and placed his hands on Arthur's shoulders. "Arthur, look at me."

Arthur slowly brought his eyes back up to meet Alfred. He was braced for anger, but Alfred simply looked hurt and concerned.

"That's absurd, Arthur. None of this is your fault. You have no blame."

Arthur was shocked. Of all of the reactions that he was prepared for, this was not one of them.

"But..."

" _None._ " Alfred firmly cut Arthur's words short once more. His grip tightened on Arthur's shoulders. "I would never place blame with you for this. _No one_ places blame with you for this. And if anyone did, I wouldn't stand for it. It is not your fault." Alfred's grip slowly loosened and his eyes grew dark once more. "If anyone deserves blame here, it's me."

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting this turn. Alfred continued speaking, his voice low and aimed at no one in particular.

"With every passing moment I feel more and more disgusted with myself; if I only I hadn't taken that potion to begin with. If only I had thought more..." Alfred's voice grew audibly frustrated. "I fell for something so simple...so stupid...!" Alfred looked up at Arthur, tears welling in the backs of his eyes. "...It's _my_ fault. All of this. It's all my fault."

As Alfred's hidden emotions finally spilled forth, Arthur finally realized it. Both of them had been solely been blaming themselves. Arthur had never once blamed Alfred for this, and yet he was being crushed under the weight of a guilt that he didn't deserve. Arthur took Alfred's face into his hands, realizing the tables had turned.

"Alfred...this isn't your fault either." Alfred's sad eyes looked up at Arthur as he continued. "We can't...blame ourselves over this, Alfred. We'll only loose sight of what is important. What we need to do now is react as best we can." He paused, dropping his hands from the King's face. "This may have been a series of unfortunate mistakes, but the only ones who are truly at fault are the ones who poisoned you, and attacked Matthew." He paused. "So please do not blame yourself."

Alfred nodded, and leaned forward, resting his forehead on Arthur's shoulder.

"...Alright."

The pair sat in silence as many of their feelings of self-blame slowly began to subside. For the first time in their reign, they had both become painfully aware of the magnitude of their position. However, a new resolve had taken root in them, prompting them to never let something like this happen again.

After talking for several hours, the pair left the bar room, and retired to the upper floors of the castle. Much of the ball had ended by now, but the orchestra could still be heard as they walked up to the upper floor of the castle. They finally reached the King's chambers. Just as Alfred opened the door and stepped inside, Arthur stopped at the doorway.

"Well then, good night, Alfred."

Alfred looked back at Arthur, surprised.

"Wait...where are you going?"

"I'm retiring to my room."

"But...It's our wedding night, aren't we supposed t..." Alfred's voice trailed off, embarrassment keeping him from finishing his sentence.

Arthur smiled sadly.

"I think it'd be better if we called it a night for tonight. While neither of us would like to admit it, Matthew's condition is heavy on both of our minds. I think if we were to do anything more tonight, neither of us would enjoy it very much."

Alfred stood in silence. Arthur was right...he knew that, but there was a mild disappointment in him nonetheless. He nodded.

"You're right."

Arthur leaned forward and kissed Alfred a few times before leaning away.

"Good night, Alfred."

Arthur turned and was about to walk away, when Alfred reached out, catching Arthur's wrist in his hand. Arthur turned back around, surprised.

"What is it?"

Alfred fought with his thoughts for a moment, embarrassed, but not wanting to be left alone.

"Will you at least...stay with me until I fall asleep?"

Arthur's heart and expression softened at the King's innocent request. He slowly stepped toward the door.

"Alright."

Arthur followed Alfred into his chamber, and for the second night in a row, they fall asleep in each others' arms.

.

.

"Al..."

A familiar voice called to the King through the murky darkness. Everything was dark and blurred beyond recognition.

"Al...wake up..."

The voice came again, and soon, the images before Alfred's eyes came into focus. He looked forward, and saw a familiar shape standing over his bed, shaking him slightly. Alfred's eyes widened. It was Matthew. But younger. Vastly younger. As his eyes focused on him, he smiled.

"Al, you're up!" He stopped shaking him and smiled. "We're going to be late for school if you don't hurry; Mom and Dad already left for work."

Alfred's eyes widened further. _Mom and Dad?_ Was this back from before they finished middle school? Alfred sat up in his bed and looked around. The wooded attic was light and pristine, as it had been far before their parent's deaths. Alfred turned to face his twin again. The young Matthew wore a confused look on his face.

"Al, are you ok?"

Alfred reached out and gently grabbed his twin's sleeve.

"Is that really you, Matt?"

His twin smiled.

"Of course it's me. I'm always here with you, Al."

Suddenly, the familiar attic room fell away from around the two. Before Alfred was aware of what happened, he was standing in a cold and cloudy field. Thin mist hung around the field, and murky green clovers covered the ground in every direction. Alfred looked around, but his eyes locked on his twin, who was now standing several yards away. Alfred tried to move towards him, but found his legs wouldn't move. Suddenly, he saw the clovers begin to creep up over Matthew's legs, slowly beginning to swallow him whole. Alfred's heart began to pound in fear.

"Matt!" He called out his twin's name, but a gust of wind muffled the sound. Matthew smiled sadly as the clovers began to swallow him further, as their dark green color eerily turned crimson.

"Don't worry..." Matthew's voice echoed gently just before the dark plants consumed his frame completely. The field fell away and everything was swallowed in darkness. The only thing that remained was a final echo of Matthew's voice.

" _I'll always be with you, Al._ "

.

Alfred awoke with a start, breathing heavily. He looked around and found the familiar surroundings of his room in the Spades castle. It was still dark out. Sweat had collected on his forehead, and he reached up and rubbed his face, the memory of the dream still hauntingly present. Arthur stirred beside him and opened his green eyes to look at him.

"Alfred..." He sat up a little upon seeing Alfred's state. "Alfred, love, what's wrong?"

The King looked over at Arthur, his heartbeat slowly attempting to return to normal.

"Just a...nightmare..." Alfred whispered dryly. He frowned, the memory of Matthew being swallowed up by the red clovers still fresh in his mind. He rubbed the sweat from his forehead, and blinked, attempting to dispel the image from his mind. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Arthur reached up and brushed some of the damp bangs from Alfred's forehead.

"Shh. It's alright. Come here."

Alfred settled back into bed beside Arthur, who leaned closer and gently kissed the side of his face before shifting a little closer to him. Arthur was quick to fall back into slumber, but sleep continued to evade Alfred.

 _I'll always be with you, Al._

Matthew's statement in his dream haunted him until the sun was just beginning to rise, and he could no longer stay in bed. Alfred quietly slipped from the bed without rousing the sleeping Queen. He absentmindedly grabbed his palace jacket and put it on before he opened his bedroom door and headed down the quiet hall. It was still quite early, and there was very little activity in the castle. Alfred navigated down to the main floor without encountering anyone. His pace quickened. The sinking feeling in his gut had not gone away since he had awoken from his dream. By the time he could see the infirmary at the end of the hall, he was practically sprinting. He threw the door to the infirmary open, and swiftly entered into the room. He headed into the back-most part of the room, where his brother had been placed the day before. Alfred froze where he stood.

Several of the doctors had gathered around Matthew's bed. They were mumbling urgently to each other, some rushing to retrieve various medical instruments, others rapidly scribbling notes and flipping through books. As Alfred entered the room, they immediately stopped and looked up, hopeless expressions on their faces.

"Your Excellency..." The head doctor slowly said, a grim expression on his face. The silent, sinking feeling in Alfred's gut quickly evolved in to a droning panic in his mind. Something was very wrong. Alfred quickly stepped forward and pushed some of the doctors out of his way as he walked towards Matthew's bed. As he finally laid his eyes on his brother, his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

Matthew was still laying unresponsive in the infirmary bed. But he looked worse. His breathing was infrequent and shallow, and his complexion had returned to a ghostly state.

"Matt!" Alfred rushed to his brother's bedside, fear taking root inside him once more. He lowered himself on his knees to be closer to his twin. "Matt, come on..." Alfred's voice shook slightly as the gravity of the situation fell upon him. He reached out and placed a hand on Matthew's only to find it eerily cold. The head doctor slowly spoke.

"Your Excellency...he is no longer responding to magic or medical treatments."

Alfred slowly turned to the doctor, who was wearing a firm, saddened expression. Alfred looked at him, expecting him to go on, but knew there was nothing more to say. Alfred returned his gaze to the dying Ace, his line of vision beginning to cloud with tears.

"Matt...!" Alfred shook his brother's shoulder. "Matt!" Alfred called his name again, only to hear Matthew's breathing grow more labored. Alfred clamped his eyes shut and tightened his grip on his brother's shoulder.

"Matt..."

The world seemed to fall completely silent around him. He couldn't hear anything; not the doctor's sad murmurs, not the sounds of the infirmary, not even Matthew's breathing that was growing even more infrequent. The only thing that he heard was a grim voice in the back of his mind.

.

 _This appears to be the improper time._

 _I deem this to be the improper time._

 _This is not the time that it was supposed to happen. This is not the time it is going to happen._

 _Yes...this is the incorrect time._

 _My family is not going to die again._

 _._

No one knows what spell took place on that day. The castle seemed to violently shake on it's foundation, and the infirmary was filled with light. It was quickly followed by the tolling of bells and a loud ticking sound. For a brief moment, Alfred felt as though he was being crushed by a heavy weight, and there was a deep, fiery feeling throughout his heart. Everything lasted for what felt like hours, but at the same time, only a few seconds. Then everything subsided. Everything in the infirmary fell quiet. The painful sensations slowly left Alfred, only to be replaced with the sad feeling that had been stirring since he saw Matthew. Then he heard a gentle voice.

"...Al?"

Alfred's eyes widened. It couldn't be. Alfred looked up in disbelief as shock took over his expression. Laying in the bed, staring back at him was Matthew; completely alert, and looking completely unscathed. Even the deep burn that had been present on his face just a moment ago was completely gone. Alfred's mouth fell open.

"M...Matt?"

The Ace smiled and sat up a little.

"Yeah," Matthew responded nonchalantly.

Alfred let out a relieved and nervous laugh, before the emotion became to much.

"Matt!" Alfred leapt forward and threw his arms around him. Matthew laughed.

"Ow, easy, you don't want me hurt again, do you?"

Alfred pulled away and sat on the bed right next to his twin. He couldn't believe it. Not only was Matthew awake, but all of the burns that were all over his face were gone without a trace, the bruise that stretched all the way up to his neck had returned to a normal fleshy color, and based on how he had lightly returned Alfred's embrace, he could now move his arm that had been discolored and limp just moments before.

"Matt!" Alfred said again, looking at his brother in disbelief. "You're...you're ok?"

Matthew nodded.

"I feel so much better." Slowly, he squinted a little and looked around his surroundings. "...Have you seen my glasses?"

Alfred continued to stare at his twin, dumbfounded, as he felt around for the table behind him. He retrieved Matthew's glasses and handed the to him.

"They're...uh. Still a little broken..."

Matthew took the glasses from Alfred and slipped them on, then squinted a little as his vision was confronted with the mostly shattered lens.

"I can tell."

Alfred let out another relieved laugh. Matthew was fine. Completely fine. But...how was this possible? Had the dying Matthew he had seen just a few seconds ago been nothing but a mirage?

"It's remarkable..." The pair looked over in the direction of the voice, and found the doctors staring at Matthew in disbelief. "He's completely healed..."

The head doctor gestured to the others.

"Don't just stand there with you mouths agape. Quickly, we must check all of his magic levels and vital signs. Go get the instruments!"

Several of the doctors scattered in different directions, the infirmary erupting into chaos once more. Alfred turned back to look at Matthew, wiping his eyes from the tears that never truly came forth. Had the nightmare simply been a dream? Or had it been a premonition? Either way, somehow, Matthew was alive and alright right now. He slowly spoke, trying to keep the emotion from leaking into his voice.

"I'm...so glad you're okay, Matt..."

Matthew smiled before his face illuminated in realization.

"Al!" Matthew reached forward and urgently grabbed his twin's arm. "Al, I have to tell you about what happened to me in Clubs...how I was attacked, and by who..."

Alfred eyes widened. In all of the chaos, he had completely forgotten. Now that he was awake, Matthew would be able to tell him what had happened in Clubs.

"That's right...tell me—"

Just then, the door to the infirmary burst open, and Yao came into the room, followed by Arthur. Yao looked around, until his eyes fell on Matthew. Arthur's eyes widened as his eyes fell on the pair of royals.

"So it's true..." Yao said as he quickly made his way towards the bed where Matthew was. Arthur fell in step behind him, as Yao spoke again.

"You've fully recovered, Lord Matthew...!" Yao looked at the Ace up and down, not believing how healthy Matthew looked. "But how...?"

Arthur rushed past Yao to Alfred's side. His was voice full of confusion.

"Alfred...did you use your magic?"

Alfred turned to look at Arthur.

"...Yes..? Or maybe...no? I don't know, I don't remember meaning to..."

Arthur's eyes flitted around as if he were trying to process something. His eyes widened in realization for a moment, then he spoke calmly.

"Alfred...do you have your royal arms on you?"

The King frowned, as he thought for a moment.

"My pocket watch? No, I don't think s—" Suddenly, Alfred froze. Wait. He _did_ have it. In his haste, Alfred had thrown on his palace jacket. And inside, he always kept the pocket watch. Alfred reached into the coat's inner pocket, and immediately felt the familiar shape. He grabbed it, but as he took it out, he immediately loosened his grip on it.

"Ow, ow? It's hot..." Alfred looked at the watch in his hand, that seemed completely normal aside from the fact that the golden watch was abnormally warm. At this statement, Arthur's eyes darkened a little. All three of the other royals instantly picked up on the change in Arthur's demeanor. Alfred leaned a little closer to the Queen.

"Arthur? What's the matter?"

"You used time magic." Arthur's statement was blunt, and it almost felt a little accusatory. Alfred blinked.

"What?"

Arthur turned his attention to Matthew, making note of his extremely healthy condition.

"...I was wondering how Matthew could look so healthy now when last night his condition was barely stable...Even with the best healing magic, he wouldn't be better by now...but now it all makes sense." Arthur turned to the King. "You didn't heal Matthew, Alfred. You've thrown him back in time to before he was attacked."

Silence fell among the royals. Yao's eyes had widened thoughtfully while Matthew looked a little scared. Alfred stared forward, trying to wrap his mind around what Arthur had said. He had used time magic on Matthew? He didn't even know that was a possible spell. Yet somehow he had cast it without thinking about it. Suddenly, Alfred turned towards Arthur, his mind settling on a single fact.

"But...Matthew still remembers being attacked."

Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned his attention to the Ace.

"Is that true, Matthew?"

The Ace nodded eagerly.

"Y...yes. I remember everything that happened to me..."

Arthur's expression became even more irked at this statement. Arthur stared forward at nothing in particular.

"...Somehow, you were able to keep Matthew's mind and his body separate..." Arthur lightly shook his head in disbelief. "I've never heard of someone preforming such complex magic...ever."

Yao turned to Arthur and spoke gently.

"...Your Highness. I understand your concern over the complexity and type of magic that was used to revive Lord Matthew. I truly do. But we have far larger problems to address." Yao turned to the Ace, a serious expression on his face. "Lord Matthew. You truly remember everything that happened to you in Clubs?"

Matthew nodded.

"Yes. Absolutely."

Yao let out a relieved sigh.

"Good...would you please tell us in great detail...what happened?"

Matthew nodded. Alfred looked at Arthur, who still seemed disturbed by the magic that had been used, but he quickly reverted all of his attention to the Ace. Everyone sat on edge as Matthew slowly began to tell the story of what had happened to him in Clubs.

"...Everything was going really well...I was able to go into Clubs without any problems. I used the proper invisibility spells, I completely muffled my presence when I made my way through small towns...I even made it to the Clubs capital far ahead of schedule...And then...that's when I saw her."

Alfred sat forward a little.

"'Her'?"

Matthew nodded.

"The Clubs capital isn't like ours. There's a village in the capital, but the castle is far to the North, in the Northern-most part of the capital. It's surrounded by dark forests, and I had to walk for about an hour before I reached the castle. And that's where she was." Matthew took a deep breath before he continued. "She had long blonde hair, and very pale skin. She always wore a smile on her face, but it was cold...and dark. She had a dark colored ribbon tied in a hairband." He looked up at the royals. "She perfectly fit Al's description. At first, I thought I would just observe her...she was easy to see; she was standing right outside the Clubs castle." Matthew paused and his expression darkened. "Almost like she was...waiting. And even though I was using my best invisibility spells...she saw me."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"She saw you? Even though you were using active magic?"

Matthew nodded.

"She saw me. And she immediately started coming towards me. I tried running away since I already had the information I needed, but...that's when she attacked." Matthew looked up at Al with pleading eyes. "I've never seen someone use magic so violently, Al. She used both dark arts and advanced magic..." Matthew reached up and touched the area over his eye that had been burned. "...Even potions. I'd never even heard of someone using potions offensively in battle..."

A heavy silence fell over the room as what Matthew was saying sank in. Arthur slowly spoke, deep in thought.

"Who was she, Matthew?"

Matthew turned to the Queen and shook his head.

"I'm sorry...I don't know. I wanted to find out more about her, but I barely escaped with my life..." Matthew hung his head, a sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry. I don't know. But this I do know: she has incredible magic ability, but she's not a royal."

All of the royals reacted in shock. Alfred slowly spoke.

"She's...not a royal?"

Matthew shook his head.

"I could feel it. She's just a normal person." Matthew looked sad again. "I'm sorry. I wish I could find out more..."

Yao quickly spoke up.

"Do not apologize, Matthew. You did very well. You were sent to find out if this girl served Clubs, and you found out even more than that. Well done."

Matthew slowly smiled sheepishly as Alfred patted him on the shoulder.

Arthur, who had been standing thoughtfully, finally spoke.

"...So what now? We have evidence that a servant of Clubs had actively attacked both the King and Ace of Spades. Are we to take this as a declaration of war?"

A hush fell over the royals. Yao turned to Alfred.

"Your Excellency. We truly do have enough reason to engage in war...what is your input?"

Alfred looked a Yao. War. Something he really did not to be in. But a servant of Clubs did purposefully attack him...and Matthew. Alfred glanced at his brother, who looked equally worried. Matthew almost died because of them. But was that reason enough to throw all of Spades into a dangerous battle with Clubs? Alfred looked at Arthur. The Queen looked pensive, and very on edge. Alfred swallowed and turned back to Yao.

"I..." Alfred began, trying to decide what to do.

Suddenly, there was an urgent knock on the infirmary door. Yao turned towards the door.

"Come in," he called towards the intrusion. The door quickly opened and a palace sorcerer entered the room. He looked troubled, and he bowed quickly at the royals.

"Your Excellencies!"

Yao took a step forward.

"What is it, sorcerer?"

"Our magic sensors have picked up a...terrestrial anomaly. An impact of sorts. A large one. On Spades soil."

All of the Spades perked up instantly, and Yao took another step towards the palace sorcerer.

"An anomaly? What do you mean by that?"

Arthur rose and walked towards the sorcerer, doing nothing to hide his stress.

"Are you saying we've been attacked?"

The sorcerer flinched back at Arthur's question, thrown off by the Queen's lack of composure.

"We don't know yet, but..." The sorcerer gestured towards the door. "Come, quickly. There's no time to waste, Your Excellencies."

The royals turned to look at each other, before they fell in step from behind the sorcerer. Matthew rose from his bed to follow behind them, and Alfred instantly turned around.

"Matt, are you sure you don't want to stay here—"

"I'm fine, Al. This concerns me too."

Taken aback by Matthew's unusually headstrong answer, Alfred slowly nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

The four royals quickly left the infirmary, and made their way down to the dungeons below the castle.

The royals were led to the largest room in the dungeons that had the table map of Spades. Many of the other sorcerers had gathered, and were discussing countless possibilities over dusty magic books and tinkering with unusual magic devices. Once in the room, the four royals immediately went to the table map, where the four thin beams of light were emitting from the Spades capital. The sorcerer gestured to another portion of Spades.

"If you'll look here, you will see the anomaly that we speak of."

The Spades turned their attention to an area in the of the Northeastern part of Spades on the map, and saw it. On the table map, there was an area that was covered in a murky black spot. It was small on the map itself, but judging by the scale of the map itself, the spot was easily the size of a very small town. Arthur leaned closer to the map.

"It's almost as if...there's no magic there at all..."

"What do you mean?"

"Cards is supported entirely by magic. It courses through the land and the four magic systems is what divides the countries..." Arthur pointed at the black spot. "This...looks like there is no magic here at all..."

"How is something like that even possible?" Alfred shook his head. "A piece of Cards can't just disappear...especially not Spades, Our magic system is stronger than anyone's!"

"I know!" Arthur raised his voice, his stress apparent. "I know, but...this doesn't make any sense...I've never heard of anything like this occurring before..."

The royals stood in silence for a while, staring at the anomaly, before Alfred broke the silence.

"Any chance the table map and our magic instruments are broken?"

Arthur let out a defeated sigh.

"Highly unlikely, but I suppose it's possible..."

More silence fell over the room before Matthew's eyes widened. He stepped closet to the table and spoke.

"Hey, Al...isn't that...Valden?"

Alfred's eyes widened as he frantically turned to look at the portion of the map. His heart dropped. Matthew was right. Although it was just barely outside of the edge of the city, he would recognize that portion of Spades anywhere. The small North-Eastern town that hugged the border between Spades and Clubs. Alfred took a deep breath.

"You're right..." Alfred slowly spoke as he stared at the map. "That's Valden. That's our hometown..."

Arthur and Yao looked up at the twins. Arthur looked deeply concerned, but Yao was the first to speak.

"You're right...that is terribly close to the town where you used to live..." Yao turned back to the map, scowling. "What is this...do you think this is also something done by Clubs...?"

The whole room was quiet for a moment, before Alfred finally spoke.

"Well, if no one here knows what this...anomaly is...then let's go find out for ourselves."

Yao was quick to chime in.

"His Excellency is right. We won't find anything out if we just stay here. I recommend going to the outskirts of Valden to see what is amiss."

Matthew slowly stepped forward.

"Me too...?"

Yao looked to the Ace.

"Yes, you as well, Lord Matthew. After your most recent excursion, I think it's be best if we do investigations in groups for a while."

The four surveyed the map and magic outputs once more for good measure, then, with resolve exited the dungeon to prepare for their trip to Valden.

.

Valden was only about an hour or two away by vehicle. After several medical checks to make sure Matthew was truly alright, the royals packed for a short overnight trip and boarded the royal vehicles to make their way towards the city of Valden. Matthew rode in the first vehicle with Yao while Arthur and Alfred rode in the one behind them. The King of Spades thought pensively as they began to ride towards their destination. Valden...he hadn't been back to his hometown since he had received his mark of the King and was taken away by Arthur and Yao. He knew that his old school, as well as his old farmhouse lied on the outskirts of the main city. He only hoped that whatever had caused this 'anomaly' had spared his childhood home. Busy with his own thoughts, it took him slightly longer than usual to realize that Arthur was also unusually quiet. Alfred looked over at the Queen beside him, and found that he was staring out the window, wearing a complicated expression on his face. Alfred spoke up.

"Arthur, are you alright?"

The Queen of Spades did not take his eyes off the scenery outside the window, but nonetheless, responded.

"...Just thinking."

"Oh." Alfred wasn't unused to shorter answers from Arthur, but something about his tone suggested that he was deeply bothered by something. Alfred spoke again, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Arthur. I'm not really sure what this terrestrial anomaly is, but I'm sure once we get there we'll be able to tell what it is."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Alfred blinked, immediately focusing on the word 'worried' in his response.

"Then...what is it, Arthur?"

Arthur finally turned to look at Alfred, his expression stern.

"I'm concerned about the time spell you used on Matthew."

Alfred paused. The time spell he used on Matthew? Alfred was puzzled; of all of the things at hand, he was definitely not expecting that to be the brunt of Arthur's worries.

"What do you mean? I know the last time I used a time spell you got really upset, but that was because it messed up the magic readers at the castle... but this time it didn't! I truly wasn't trying to use it, but it really saved Matthew."

Arthur was silent, but his expression looked as if he was weighing something in his mind. Alfred began to feel upset as Arthur's silence continued on. He raised his voice.

"Are you saying that I should not have saved Matthew? I...I don't know why you're so against me using time magic...It's a type of magic unique to Spades royals alone, and even you can use time spells, so why—"

"You don't understand, Alfred." Arthur raised his voice to match Alfred's on impulse, but he quickly readjusted his volume, using a serious, even tone. "Yes, I can use time spells, but I truly never wish to use them." Alfred looked at Arthur with a growing confused expression. Did he really not want him to use time spells? Arthur finally let out a defeated sigh and continued speaking. "Alfred, I never instructed you about using time spells. And for good reason. I assumed you wouldn't regularly be using them. I was prepared to have a longer discussion with you about them if we ever engaged in war but..." Arthur paused, weighing whether he should tell Alfred, then finally resolved, knowing that he had to tell him. Arthur swallowed, and slowly spoke. "Alfred, when you use time spells, it steals time from your own life."

Alfred stared at Arthur, astonished by what Arthur had just told him. _From his own life?_ When Alfred finally found his words again, he slowly spoke.

"You mean...every time I use a time spell, my life gets...shorter?"

Arthur nodded slowly.

"Not only do you lose time off of your life, the time you lose is often very... _disproportionate_."

Alfred felt his heartbeat quicken at this second revelation.

"What do you mean, 'disproportionate'?"

Arthur sighed.

"That first time spell you used when you went to Eavesworth? You may have only used that spell for a few seconds, but I imagine that spell took days...maybe even weeks off of your lifespan."

Alfred's eyes widened at the memory of using that first time spell and how exhausted he had felt afterward. Now it all seemed to make sense. Arthur picked up on the change in Alfred's disposition and spoke again.

"This time, you are fortunate due to the fact that you only altered time for Matthew alone rather than all of Cards. But you still disrupted time by about two days for him...there's no doubt that you were affected." Arthur looked down a little at his hands that were folded on his lap. "I doubt the effects are anywhere near as detrimental as they would have been had you reversed two days for all of Cards, but still...in the future I want you to truly think before you use time spells."

Alfred felt terrible. Before, he had never given much thought to the Spades-exclusive magic that he had overwhelming access to. Now, he felt awful, and honestly, a little scared. How much of his life had he already lost to using those two time spells alone? Months? Years? His expression was telltale of his current emotional state, as he spoke quietly, trying to appear calmer than he was.

"I'm sorry." Alfred looked at Arthur, sincerity in his eyes. "I really am. I didn't know time spells did this...and I really didn't know I was using a time spell when I saved Matthew."

Arthur quickly spoke up, revealing far more worry than anger.

"That is what is so scary, Alfred. You have far more power than you even realize you have. So much that you aren't always able to control it." Arthur took Alfred's hand into his own, looking at him with a pleading expression. "I don't want your own magic to be what destroys you. Please. Be more careful with your magic. You have to learn to control it."

.

They arrived at the outskirts of Valden without any trouble. They had the vehicles stop just outside the city limits and got out. They didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention with the royal vehicles. And since they had been wed, many people in Spades now new what they looked like. To assist in their mission, they were all clad in common clothes as opposed to their palace uniforms. Matthew was also prepared to assist with their cause. As soon as they reconvened outside of the vehicles, Matthew held out his hands and began mumbling a short spell. Blue light briefly bathed the other three royals in light before it slowly faded away.

"This spell will allow the three of you to go undetected. No one will recognize you as the royals, and they should pay you no mind." Matthew lowered his hands back to his sides. "With this, we should be able to conduct our investigation as quickly as possible without detection."

Alfred and Arthur nodded and Yao stepped forward.

"Lord Matthew and I will head further into the city to collect information from the locals to see if there is any disturbance among the people." Yao turned to Arthur. "Your Highness, do you have a magic output sensor?"

Arthur produced a small ornament from his pocket that was covered in a shining silver material. It had a large blue stone in it that seemed to emit light. Yao smiled and continued speaking.

"Good. If you two would please go investigate the area with the magic output anomaly. With both of your advanced magic, I'm sure you'll be able to find out what is taking place." Arthur returned the small device to his pocket and Yao spoke once more. "Once we have completed our tasks, we will meet at the Zaffre Inn on the North side of Valden. That is where we shall stay for the night."

"Alright." Alfred replied, eager to find out what had happened to his hometown. Matthew quickly spoke up, having remembered something.

"My spell will only last until late evening. After that, the effects will rapidly begin to drop off. Please... make sure you return to the inn before then."

"Understood." Arthur said, seeming to match the King's resolve.

"Alright then," Yao said. "Let's meet again in the evening then."

And with that, the four royals split and went in their own separate directions towards the city of Valden.

Valden had been exactly how Alfred had remembered it. He had not been back in the small city in a little over a year, but he hadn't realized until now how much he had missed it. Unlike Eavesworth or the Spades Capital, Valden was a smaller, quieter city. It had small cobblestone streets and trolley cars, and unlike the larger cities in Spades, much of the buildings were constructed with wood as opposed to stone. It was surrounded by rolling, open fields as opposed to the deep, lush forests that surrounded much of Spades, and even in the town, there was a soothing, earthy scent to the city.

Alfred had fallen in step behind Arthur who was looking down at the device in his hand, tracking the area with abnormal magic output. Like Matthew had said, no one in the town seemed to pay them any mind, much less notice them, so they were able to cut through the city itself to get to the outskirts of Valden.

"Does it feel good to be home?"

Alfred turned his head to look at Arthur, who had asked the question without looking up from the device. Alfred smiled and shrugged a little, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

"This place really isn't my home anymore, Arthur." Alfred paused for a moment, taking a deep breath in, enjoying the nostalgic scent of the city. "But it is nice to see this place again."

Arthur glanced over at Alfred, a small smile on his face.

"I see."

Arthur seemed pleased enough with Alfred's response, so Alfred decide to volley a question back to Arthur.

"So...have you ever been to Valden before?"

Arthur nodded as he returned his eyes to the device in his hand.

"Oh, yes. Countless times."

Alfred quickly whipped his head back to look at Arthur.

"Seriously? When?"

Arthur looked back up at the King.

"Well, most recently...when we came to retrieve you." Alfred rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. Arthur smiled at the King's reaction and continued. "But my father was a merchant remember? We mostly went to port cities that could be reached by the Sea of Cards, but Valden was one of a few cities we regularly traveled inland to visit for trade." Arthur returned his eyes to the device. "Valden is one of the largest farm communities in Spades, you know."

Alfred's eyes lit up.

"Did you guys trade at the Market Square? The one with the big fountain in the middle?"

Arthur slowly turned to look back at the King.

"Yes...how would you know?"

"My parents were farmers, they took stuff to trade there almost every day! I usually went with them on weekends." A glint of realization illuminated the King's eyes as he excitedly leaned closer to Arthur. "Hey, do you think we ever met?"

Arthur smiled at the idea, and leaned a little farther away from the King's enthusiasm.

"Not likely...that's a rather big trading square..." Arthur paused and made a slightly sour expression. "Rather, I can only imagine what you were like in primary school..."

Alfred frowned.

"What do you think I was like in primary?"

Arthur stopped walking for a moment.

"Loud and dirty?"

Alfred frowned a little then looked down, feigning sadness.

"...I mean, you're not wrong, but still."

Arthur laughed a little and the pair continued walking.

"Well, that was a long, long time ago, Alfred. And I don't really remember meeting an obnoxious child with glasses."

"You shouldn't. Because I didn't wear glasses until my first year of high school."

Arthur tilted his head at Alfred in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah." The pair continued to make their way through the city, and as they turned down a different street, Alfred spoke, curiosity getting the better of him."What were you like in primary?"

Arthur shrugged.

"I suppose just normal child. No doubt I was certainly far calmer than you were as a child." Arthur thought for a moment. "Besides, Alfred. Even if we had met, we are nearly four full years apart. I doubt we would have had much to discuss as children anyway."

Alfred turned his attention up to the blue, cloud filled sky overhead. He smiled a little.

"Even so, I think I would have liked you anyway."

Arthur turned and smiled at Alfred.

"I guess we'll never know."

.

The pair made their way through the city using the less crowded streets on the outer ring of town. Valden was a small city, so they were able to make their way through under an hour. As the scenery around them changed from city buildings and cobblestones to farm houses and dirt paths, they knew they were getting to the Northwest outskirts of Valden where the anomaly was supposed to be. As they made their way along a dirt path past some farmland and rolling hills, Arthur looked down at the device in his hand, the blue gemstone still shining.

"So far, the magic outputs for the land are normal."

Alfred looked down at the device as well.

"Maybe the reading at the castle really was wrong?"

"I'd certainly like that to be the case..."

Suddenly, the blue stone on the device began to dim and flicker. Alfred looked closer.

"Wait. What's causing that?"

Arthur looked up and stared in horror at the scene in front of him.

"That's what."

Alfred looked up, and horror replaced his expression as well.

Out in front of them, stretching several meters into the distance, was dark, scorched land. It was black and gray, almost monochromatic, and the earth was completely devoid of life. The land had sunken in, as if the entire area had just wasted away. The pair of royals slowly walked forward as the light from the blue stone in the device flickered away completely. However, the pair never noticed. There was no sound at all. No rustling of plants, no birds, just the echo of an empty wind. Alfred looked around, an uneasy feeling growing.

"What is all of this?"

Arthur walked forward and knelt to the ground. He ran his hand along the soil which was fragile, and quick to break apart in his hands. It was almost as if a great fire had taken place, but there was no ash or lingering scent of smoke. Arthur reached for the nearby shape of a flower. The instant he touched it, however, it's form disintegrated into a fine, weightless, black powder. Arthur brought his hand closer, watching as the black powder disappeared completely.

"There's no magic here." Arthur said, horror creeping into his voice. "There's no life here at all. There's no _Spades_ here...at all."

Alfred stepped closer to Arthur, feeling fear and uncertainty rise within him as he looked around at the area.

"How can that be? What could even cause something like this?"

"Negative magic..." Arthur mumbled as he stared at where the black powder hand been on his hand. Alfred turned to look at the Queen.

"What...? What do you mean by 'negative' magic?"

"I mean exactly that." Arthur turned and looked at Alfred, confusion in his own eyes as well. "Even I'm not truly sure; as far as I knew it was only a theory...something that had never been measured, but..." Arthur took a deep breath as he turned back to look at the dead land around him. "All magic creates something. Whether it be life, matter, or an effect. But there are... _theories_ that suggest that there is a type of magic that is purely for destroying. Magic that creates nothing but reverses existence..." Arthur turned back to Alfred. "But it's never been practiced, or even proven to exist. There are some who believe that it can even be a natural phenomenon that would occur if there were no magic system to support a land."

Alfred frowned and shook his head in confusion. He finally spoke up.

"But...Cards is a land that is supported entirely by magic...how can something like that even exist here? Especially in Spades where magic is more prominent here than anywhere else?"

"I don't know..." Arthur stood up and stepped closer to Alfred. "But for now, I don't want to stay here much longer. Let's collect the information we need and leave this place."

The pair used the small magic device to determine that there was, indeed, no magic in the scorched area at all. After a few more calculations to determine that the affected area was about 1000 meters across in both directions, they quickly left the area, unsettled by being in an area not supported by magic.

.

They walked until they could no longer see the affected area. It was mostly hidden by natural slopes in the land, and there were no houses nearby. They truly wondered if the locals had noticed it was there at all. Once they were away from the area, Arthur looked spoke.

"Well...it's still only afternoon, but I suppose we could go and see if Matthew and Yao are at the inn..."

"Yeah..." Alfred stopped walking. "But...Arthur. Since we have time anyway...there's somewhere that I want to go. Can we?"

Arthur stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at the King.

"Sure. I don't have a problem with it. But where are we going?"

Alfred smiled softly.

"I just want to check up on a place."

.

Arthur fell in step behind Alfred and the pair made their way down a dusty stone road. It was a short, half hour walk from where they had started, but as they approached, Arthur recognized the structure. On the expansive plot of land sat the little farmhouse that used to be the Jones residence. Alfred walked closer to the house, and Arthur followed behind him.

"It's still here..." Alfred mumbled as he walked up to the front porch. He smiled to himself. "Well, of course it's still here, I wasn't expecting it to be gone...I guess it's just weird that _I'm_ back here." Alfred turned to look at Arthur. "In all honesty, after you and Yao came to take me away, I never thought I'd be back."

Arthur smiled.

"This is your childhood home Alfred. And while your position and schedule will rarely allow it, you can come back to visit if you so wish it."

Alfred was comforted by the words. After all of the castles, palaces and royal events he had attended, it was nice to be in a place so familiar and ordinary. Alfred walked up to the door, and twisted it. Locked. He assumed as much, there was no way that when Matthew left for university he wouldn't have locked up the house. Alfred thought for a moment, remembering the proper spell for locks, and mumbled the short incantation. He twisted the doorknob slowly and stepped into his old house.

It was just how he had remembered it. There were the sofas in the front room where he remembered countless evenings of sitting with his parents and Matthew in the evening time before bed. Just past that was the kitchen with the old wooden table where he remembered sitting and working on homework with his twin, or sneaking a bite when his mother was making fresh fruit pies. There was the familiar stairwell that led to the upstairs room and the attic, and of course, the countless windows that looked out on their yard. Alfred took in the familiar scent of the house he had known all his life. Strange, how he had almost forgotten the scent. He smiled.

"It's good to be home." Alfred paused, and looked at Arthur slightly flustered. "I mean, the castle really feels the most like home now, don't get me wrong, but..."

"I understand."

Alfred blinked. Something about the way Arthur had said that made him feel as though he really did understand.

Alfred walked to the back of the kitchen and looked out at the back area of the large plot of land. He looked back at the Queen of Spades, his blue eyes shining.

"Arthur, come look at this!"

The Queen crossed the room to come and stand beside Alfred. The King pointed out the window.

"See that line of trees at the end of the yard? Teardrop Oak trees. Remember how I said I had fallen into a hole at the base of the tree on a rainy day?"

Arthur smiled, remembering the story Alfred had told him the day after they had met.

"I remember that story...didn't your father have to come rescue you?"

"Yeah! Matthew wasn't strong enough to pull me out, so he had to run into the fields to get my Dad to come help. I remember he was so mad, and once he carried me back to the house, the look on Mom's face was just..." Alfred trailed off, his smile falling a little at the bittersweet memory. He looked over at Arthur. "Well...it was a really rainy day."

Arthur immediately noticed the change in Alfred's demeanor. Although he wanted to ask what had happened to Alfred's parents, he felt that there was no elegant way to ask something so painful.

"It was in an accident."

Arthur looked up at Alfred, whose statement had answered his question. Alfred turned his attention back outside the window and continued speaking.

"It was a morning in late-spring. Matthew and I were in middle school and had just made our way to class, and my parents were about to take a batch of spring crops to market." Alfred swallowed as if he was remembering something very difficult. He slowly continued. "On their way, one of the streetcars lost control. It went around a curve too quickly. The trolley came off the rails and..."

Alfred didn't finish his sentence, the ending not needing to be said. Arthur stood closer to Alfred, instinctively wanting to comfort Alfred. Alfred looked at Arthur and gave a forced, sad smile as he continued. "There were a lot of casualties, but in the end, my parents were the only ones who died."

Arthur looked down.

"...I'm so sorry, Alfred."

Alfred shrugged and continued.

"After they died, I knew I had to be strong. Matthew was really depressed and devastated for a long time after their death, and since I'm the older twin, I felt I had to be strong for the both of us." Alfred paused a little and bore his eyes out the window. "So just a few days after their funeral, I began working after school. At first it was just on the farm and for the local general stores, but once I got old enough, I started working night shifts in the pubs in town...I was planning on taking more jobs to support Matthew in going to University." Alfred looked down and smiled as he briefly traced his hand across the center of his chest. "And then of course, I got my mark." As he let his hand drop, he tried to force another smile. "If they were here now, I'd like to think they would be proud of me."

Arthur spoke gently.

"I'm absolutely sure they would be."

Alfred turned and looked over at Arthur and smiled warmly before he closed his eyes and leaned forward, gently pressing his forehead to Arthur's. As they stood there for a quiet moment, Alfred took in Arthur scent, which he realized in that moment, that he had also come to associate with the word 'home'. Alfred sighed and brought his voice to a whisper.

"God, they would have loved you."

Arthur looked at Alfred as if he had just given him an exceptionally large compliment.

"Really?"

"Absolutely." Alfred gently pulled away. "Especially my mother. I can easily picture her getting along with you and probably even spoiling you. She would—" Alfred's eyes widened, realizing that it might have been a poor choice to talk about all of this with Arthur, who had never met his mother. Arthur however, seemed far from upset, and he even looked happy at the suggestion. He gave Alfred a soft smile.

"That would have been lovely." Arthur let some silence hang in the air before he felt it was appropriate for him to explain his own situation as well. Arthur smiled sadly. "I've told you that I never knew her, but I never explained why." Arthur took a deep breath.

"My mother was noble by birth due to my grandmother being the reigning Queen of Spades. However, my father was a common sea merchant. It goes without saying that their relationship was...very discouraged. But my mother apparently felt smothered by noble and royal expectations...and she truly loved my father, so they ran away together, cutting her ties with my grandmother." Arthur paused before continuing. "My mother was...weak. Physically. She was very frail." Silence hung in the room before Arthur finally continued. "She died in childbirth. Giving birth to me was too much for her body, and she passed away shortly after I was born."

Alfred frowned at Arthur's revelation.

"Arthur, I..." Alfred looked down. "I'm sorry."

Arthur shook his head.

"Her death is very difficult for me to mourn. After all, I never knew her. But my father talked of her so much, it really made me wish I had met her. My...childhood without her wasn't sad though. My father took me all kinds of places on his ship, and he cared for me enough for both him and mother."

Arthur's face fell. "Then he passed away too. I remember that day very clearly." Arthur looked up at Alfred. "We had a small cottage in the port city of Linemell...just south of Eavesworth. It was a small house, but big enough for the two of us, and we traveled so much, we didn't stay there very often anyway." Arthur's expression darkened again. "It was just a week from my eleventh birthday, and I had fallen sick. Father had to work though, so I stayed at the house and he said he would finish his trading in time to make it back for my birthday." Arthur paused. "But he didn't come back. There was a terrible storm off the coast of Spades, and his destroyed ship and his remains were found the day before I turned eleven."

Alfred's heart ached for Arthur. He was much younger when his parent died, and he had to do it all alone. Arthur continued, seeming to regain a little composure.

"The day after I got word of my father's death, palace guards came to my house saying that the Queen of Spades wanted to see me." Arthur shrugged casually. "And the rest is history, I suppose. The Queen informed me that my mother was her daughter, and that she wanted to look after me. And that day I was moved into the castle."

Alfred nodded. He was very familiar with the rest of the story. Arthur had bonded with the previous Queen almost immediately, and it was very apparent that Arthur had adored Queen of Spades more than anyone. He had spent much of his time studying the royals, roles and all of Spades under her. It was even the previous Queen that had spurred Arthur's love of literature, magic, and Spades. Alfred paused for a moment. He didn't know the details surrounding the previous Queen's death.

"And...the Queen?" Alfred asked gently.

Arthur looked confused for a second, then his expression softened dramatically.

"Nothing so dramatic. She died of old age. She was a great elder, but she was worn from stress and time spells, and she died a few days after the previous King of Spades died. Many like saying that she died of a broken heart." Arthur looked down a little and sighed. "No matter how little mind he payed to her, she truly did love him, and she was devastated when he died." Arthur leaned forward and rested the side of his face on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred blinked. It was unusual for Arthur to so openly display a need for comfort, but that only made Alfred feel all the more willing to give it to him. Alfred wrapped one of his arms around Arthur, holding him close.

"Thank you for telling me, Arthur."

Arthur didn't say anything in response, but allowed Alfred to hold him. He slowly spoke.

"Although I don't like to admit it, it's hard for me to talk about these things. Not even Yao knows about much of this, and he watched me grow up in the castle." Arthur leaned a little more on Alfred. "But I would be more comfortable if you knew me better than anyone else."

Alfred felt a wave of warmth wash over him, as he almost physically felt how much Arthur trusted him. But this also came with a very sad realization. Somehow, Arthur was very used to having the people he truly cared for die. He certainly had felt a wall when he was first getting to know Arthur, and he now wondered if it was because Arthur was constantly braced to face another death. But now that Arthur trusted Alfred enough to discuss vulnerable topics like both his love and what he had lost, he gave off a complex air as if he were caught between wanting to be close and still being prepared to let go if he had to.

Alfred was unsure of what he could say in order to convince Arthur that he didn't need to be so afraid of loosing him. However, unable to come up with the proper string of words to convey what he wanted to say, so he took Arthur's face into his hands. He leaned in close and gently placed a kiss on Arthur's cheek. It was far too gentle to have been purely romantic, and Alfred hoped that in some way, he might have been able to convey how much he adored Arthur, and how much he always wanted to be beside him.

The sunset was just beginning to filter orange light into the old farmhouse. Alfred slowly released Arthur and glanced out the window.

"Whoa, the sun is already setting. I guess we should head back before the spell Matthew used wears off." Alfred turned his attention back to Arthur to find that he was still looking at him. But unlike usual, there was no veiling of his emotions. His face was easily readable in an expression that Alfred had never seen on Arthur before. He looked...lovestruck. Hopelessly so. However, Arthur was very quick to regain his natural composure and he glanced away from Alfred, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

"Yes, let's return to the inn."

The pair walked back through the old farmhouse towards the door, and Alfred looked over his shoulder one last time before closing the old, wood door behind him. Alfred held the knob and re-locked the door with his magic. He looked over his shoulder at Arthur.

"Sorry this took so long, I really didn't think we'd be at the house this late."

Arthur shook his head.

"Don't be. I'm glad we got to talk like this."

Alfred turned to fully face Arthur and he smiled.

"Me too." Alfred stepped down from the porch and held out his hand towards Arthur. "Well then. I'll escort you back, Your Highness."

Arthur looked at Alfred with an entertained smile on his face and shook his head.

"You're such a sap," Arthur said, placing his hand in Alfred's.

Alfred smiled and interlaced his fingers with his.

"Only to you."

.

The pair found their way to the Northern part of Valden, and were able to quickly find the Zaffre Inn before the sun had completely set in the sky. Once inside, It was easy to find the other two royals. There was a small waiting area adjacent to the lobby. Matthew and Yao were seated at some plush chairs and were discussing quietly to themselves when Yao saw the pair enter. He stood and waved a hand to catch their attention.

Alfred and Arthur walked towards the pair and immediately started talking.

"Did you find the area that gave the strange readings?"

Arthur sat in one of the armchairs, his expression darkening at the memory.

"I did." He shook his head. "It was awful. There is a whole area of land that has no magic in it whatsoever. It's like it's not even Cards."

Matthew's eyes widened at the revelation, and thin creases began to for on Yao's brow. Alfred came and sat on the arm of the chair where Arthur was sitting, and spoke.

"Yao, have you heard of negative magic before?"

The Jack's eyes widened.

"Negative magic..?" He turned to Arthur with alarm on his face. "Your Highness, is that what you think has caused this?"

Arthur gravely nodded.

"That's the only possibility I can think of. I've never heard of anything else completely draining or destroying life magic. Especially in a place like Spades."

Silence fell over Yao, as he thought long and hard. Alfred turned to his brother.

"Were you able to find anything out, Matt?"

Matthew looked over at his twin.

"A little, yes. We talked to hundreds of people, but no one mentioned anything unusual or out of the ordinary. However, we did meet one gentleman in one of the market squares..." Matthew paused for a moment, squinting at the memory. "He was just an old farmer. He said that he lets his livestock graze in the Northwest portion of Valden's farmland, and that yesterday, he thought he saw a wide, burned area." Matthew looked back up. "He said he assumed that a wildfire had taken place, but considering how damp and lush Spades has been this year, it's a little hard to believe."

Yao nodded at Matthew's recap before he spoke up himself.

"Aside from him, we were not able to gather much information from the people."

Arthur looked from Matthew to Yao.

"So what happens now?"

Yao turned to the Queen, as he and Matthew rose slowly from their chairs.

"Matthew and I are going to go out and collect information once more. Now that it's evening, we might be able to get more information from a different crowd at local bars and eateries." He paused, tugging on a jacket for the Spades night air. "If we are able to find out anything new, we'll let you know. In the meantime..." Yao reached into one of his jacket pockets and produced a tarnished, gold-colored key. "Here is the key to your room if you would like to rest. This is a small in, but I did reserve the best room." He placed the key in Alfred's hand. "Matthew and I will be staying in the two rooms across from yours. We should be back by midnight."

Alfred took the key from Yao.

"Thanks."

Matthew pulled on a jacket as well as he turned to his brother.

"The food in this inn's bar is really good if you're hungry."

"Thanks Matt. Be careful out there."

Matthew nodded and fell in step behind the Jack of Spades, and soon, the pair had disappeared out the door.

.

After a short dinner in the Inn's bar room, Alfred and Arthur made their way up to their room which was on the third and uppermost floor of the inn. After finding the corresponding room number, Alfred slipped the key into the door and entered the room. Upon looking around, it was a large and attractive room, with soft plush flooring, a large bed in the center of the room, and a private bathroom attached. As they walked in, Arthur took note of their overnight bags that were laying by the bed.

"Yao must have brought those up for us..." Arthur looked at the bags, then off towards the window that was covered with deep blue curtains, save for where a thin sliver of the dimming sky was visible. Arthur appeared wistful and lost in thought as he stood in the center of the room. Alfred took a few more steps into the room and stopped a short distance away from the Queen.

"Are you alright, Arthur?"

Arthur turned to look over at the King. Alfred was looking at him with a gentle concern in his eyes, and he was standing a few feet away, patiently waiting for Arthur's response. As he looked at Alfred, Arthur slowly felt a wave of affection pass over him that he wasn't used to. He smiled warmly, and in a rare burst of honesty, Arthur's true feelings tumbled forth from his mouth without hesitation.

"I'm always alright if you're with me, Alfred."

Alfred's eyes widened at Arthur's statement before a genuine smile spread over his face. He took steps across the room, and stood right in front of Arthur. He slowly took Arthur's hands in his own, applying a comforting pressure. He looked into Arthur's emerald eyes, positively beaming. Slowly, his smile fell a little, as he felt a spark run through him as he stared into the emerald pools.

"Arthur..."

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Arthur smiled at Alfred's request and leaned closer to the King. He dropped his voice off to a whisper.

"You don't have to ask my permission, Alfred."

The King smiled and leaned forward, as the pair let their eyes slide closed. Alfred brought his lips to Arthur's in a kiss so soft and gentle that Arthur couldn't believe it. When Alfred lightly pulled away, neither was able to open their eyes for a few moments afterwards. Alfred eagerly leaned forward and repeated the gesture a few times, each kiss sending a warm fluttering throughout the pair. Alfred pulled away ever so slightly.

"...I love you" Alfred whispered, his lips grazing past Arthur's. Arthur's breath hitched as he leaned forward again, their lips connecting in a stronger kiss. The kisses that followed seemed to pick up in fervor. As the kisses steadily grew longer and more passionate, their hands began to wander, and short moans began to slip past Alfred's lips in between short gasps for air. Arthur hands slid up Alfred's torso and began slowly undo the buttons on Alfred's shirt. Heat began to rush to Alfred's face, the warmth radiating against Arthur's cheeks.

"Ah...Arthur..." Alfred whispered, briefly breaking their kiss. "...are you sure you—" Arthur silenced Alfred, eagerly leaning forward kissing him again. Arthur tugged on the fabric of the King's shirt demandingly, the pair stumbling backwards onto the bed in the process. Alfred fell forward, hovering over Arthur. The Queen of Spades instantly reconnected his lips to Alfred, leaving a trail of kisses down the side of Alfred's neck as he busied himself with the buttons once more until the Kings mark was full visible. Arthur leaned away from the King, looking at the intricate mark that trailed across the King's chest. He traced his hands across the mark as Alfred leaned forward, kissing Arthur ravenously. Alfred's own hand came to rest on Arthur's abdomen as he slowly began pushing the fabric of Arthur's shirt higher. Arthur let out a soft moan at the new contact, as Arthur's whole body curved against Alfred's, his want very apparent. As the kisses grew more and more desperate and hungry, they broke away, both panting heavily. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but stayed so close that he was murmuring into Alfred's mouth.

"Are you ready..?" Arthur's voice came out dry and hungry, his green eyes clouded in a deep lust that Alfred hadn't seen before. Alfred hesitated for a moment, then let out a low groan as Arthur rolled his hips up into Alfred's. Arthur smirked against Alfred's lips at his response and he repeated the action again. And again. Alfred led out a shaky sigh against Arthur's lips as Arthur continued, growing very aware of how hard he was. As Alfred let out another short groan of pleasure, Arthur sucked on Alfred's bottom lip, rolling his tongue against it in his mouth. Arthur reached his hands to the button on Alfred's pants.

"Arthur..." Alfred let out another moan of pleasure before a level of protest entered his voice.

"Arthur, wait—"

Arthur paused immediately and looked up at Alfred.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh..." Alfred's blue eyes flitted around briefly as if he was weighing words in his mind. He was panting lightly and his eyes were full of want, and yet he had stopped completely. Arthur looked at the King, confused before Alfred slowly spoke.

"...I've...never actually..."

Arthur blinked as it all finally came together in his mind.

"You're a virgin." Arthur said bluntly.

Scarlet color rushed to Alfred's face.

"No! I mean—technically...but I—"

"Have you ever slept with a man before?"

"...No."

Arthur sat up slightly and blinked, genuinely surprised.

"Have you ever slept with a woman before?"

Alfred looked down and fidgeted with the sheet under his fingers.

"...I've...kissed girls before back in school, but I've never..." Alfred trailed off, the rest of his sentence not needing to be said.

Arthur stared at Alfred, dumbfounded. He knew so much about Alfred, but this was one thing about Alfred he had definitely not foreseen. Alfred was by far one if the most gorgeous people Arthur had ever met; a beautiful face, the sculpt of a god, and the warm sort of spirit that attracted absolutely everyone around him. Arthur had assumed, even in schooling, that Alfred had had his fair share of partners. He assumed countless people had practically thrown themselves at Alfred throughout his life. He could easily have anyone he wanted.

Arthur let out a short laugh, and Alfred sat back on his haunches, visibly mortified.

"Fuck, you're laughing at me..." Alfred groaned and covered his face with one of his hands, the warmth of his embarrassment searing into his palm.

"I'm not, honestly..." Arthur smiled and leaned forward, taking the King's face into his hands. "I'm not laughing at you, Alfred. I'm sorry." Arthur gently brought his lips to Alfred's, who seemed to eagerly accept his apology. Arthur gently spoke. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything for you..." Arthur leaned forward, his lips grazing past Alfred's as he dropped his voice to a whisper. "All you have to do is feel good, alright?"

Arthur kissed Alfred warmly, the tone having changed slightly from just a moment ago. Arthur had not expected that he would be the one to take Alfred's virginity, but he intended to to make it amazing for Alfred. Once Alfred began to readily return the kiss, Arthur slowly pulled away and rolled over for a moment, reaching into one of his bags by the bedside. He rummaged around for a bit before removing a small vial. Alfred watched and spoke to Arthur.

"What is that?"

"Oil. Neither of us are going to be very comfortable if we don't use anything at all." Arthur rolled back towards Alfred. "Come here."

Alfred eagerly moved to Arthur as their lips connected again. This time, there was no restraint on Alfred's part, as he kissed Arthur just as hungrily and desperately. Alfred boldly moved his fingers to unfasten the buttons on Arthur's own shirt. Arthur in turn had returned his fingertips to the fastener of Alfred's pants, and within moments the pair had shaken themselves free from their clothing, no barrier between them any longer. Alfred stared at Arthur, his eyes slowly drinking in everything that he had denied himself from for months. Arthur was slimmer than Alfred, which was easy to see just by looking at him, but he was also very fit from the sword work he did when he wasn't practicing magic. He was beautiful, and the dark, Queen's mark tattooed over his heart contrasted every inch of his strikingly pale skin. Then his eyes traced down to Arthur's cock, which was blushing and standing at full attention, matching his own. Alfred swallowed at the sight. A light blush tinted Arthur's face. Not used to being stared at so intently, Arthur quickly leaned forward and reconnected his lips with Alfred, who was willingly distracted. As they kissed, Arthur opened the vial, allowing the oil to run over his fingers. As Arthur brought his hand lower, he broke his kiss with Alfred, who immediately turned his attention to the side of Arthur's face. Arthur slowly spoke.

"Pay attention...at some point, you're going to be doing this..." Alfred had connected his lips with the side of Arthur's neck and had taken a particularly sensitive bit of flesh between his teeth and was busy leaving a mark. Arthur sighed into the feeling, at this moment not caring if Alfred was paying attention right now. They would have plenty of time later. Arthur shifted his hips and slowly pushed a digit inside of himself. He tensed up at the intrusion. It _had_ been a while. He slowly pushed farther inside, before sliding the finger in and out, stretching himself in preparation for what was to come. He curled his finger until he finally found that spot that felt so amazing. Arthur let out a moan. He began to mercilessly prod the gland, his moans gradually growing until he had Alfred's full attention.

Arthur pushed the gland until he started to feel himself getting close, then retreated his fingers. He knew that Alfred wouldn't be able to last very long, so he willfully allowed himself to get as close as possible. Arthur readily leaned forward and took Alfred's length into his hands, stroking the remaining oil onto his shaft. Alfred shivered at the contact, his hips bucking lightly into Arthur's hands. Arthur retracted his hands, and Alfred felt slightly disappointed, but that didn't last very long. Arthur laid fully back onto the sheets, spreading his legs on either side of Alfred. It wasn't Arthur's ideal position, but he desperately wanted to be able to see Alfred's face for this. Arthur looked up at Alfred, his heart pounding in anticipation.

"You know...what to do, right?"

Alfred shakily nodded. He leaned forward and positioned himself so that his cock lined up with Arthur's entrance, then took a deep breath. Alfred slowly pushed inside of Arthur, gradually being engulfed by a blissfully tight heat. A low groan passed from Alfred's lips as he pushed farther in. Arthur let out a short moan and winced. Alfred was larger than Arthur had anticipated, but Arthur's tight muscles stretched and contracted until Alfred was all the way in. They stayed still for a moment, Arthur adjusting to Alfred's size. Alfred trembled above him.

"Arthur..." Alfred moaned lowly. "Arthur, you feel amazing..." Alfred's breath hitched in the back of his throat. "Can I...move?"

"Hold on..." Arthur said through gritted teeth, willing his body to relax further. After a brief moment, Arthur tentatively shifted his hips, allowing himself to slightly push Alfred's length in and out of him.

"Ah, Arthur..." Alfred moaned at the new form of friction.

Arthur smirked, enjoying the look of protest on Alfred's face. He rolled his hips again, earning another moan from Alfred. He continued to tease Alfred, shifting his hips up and down, ever so slightly. Alfred took in shaky, ragged breaths, and moaned softly as if he was doing everything possible to keep from moving. Arthur smiled at Alfred's honest obedience.

"Okay, you can move."

Alfred led out a sigh as he finally allowed his hips to move, gradually sliding his cock in and out of Arthur. Alfred moved slowly, trying to restrain himself from immediately pounding into Arthur for fear of hurting him. It was torture. But it felt amazing. As Alfred slowly rocked himself in and out of Arthur, sounds began to slip from Arthur as well.

"Alfred," Arthur moaned, shifting his hips downward on Alfred's cock, encouraging him to go faster. Alfred picked up his pace, panting harder, in a useless attempt to hold back the moans of pleasure that were beginning to slip past his own lips. As he began moving faster, Arthur's sounds grew louder like music, each intimate note causing Alfred's hips to buck in increasing speed. Finally, he hit that spot inside of Arthur.

"Alfred...!" Arthur writhed beneath Alfred, his moans growing uncontrollable. "Fuck, yes, right there...!"

Alfred tossed all caution aside, finally allowing himself to succumb to everything he had been holding back. Alfred drove into Arthur, at long last tasting the pleasure that he had been denying himself for months. Alfred pumped harder, the head of his cock driving mercilessly against Arthur's prostate until Arthur was gasping in frenzied ecstasy, clawing at the sheets beneath him. Arthur felt himself getting close at an embarrassingly fast rate, but he didn't care at this point. He soon felt the familiar clench in his stomach with every moan that escaped Alfred's lips. The pleasure and the heat and friction all became too much, and with an absolutely profane moan, Arthur came, releasing thick ropes his seed all across Alfred's abdomen. Alfred was not far behind. As Arthur's muscles tightened and contracted around Alfred, he was quickly pushed over the edge. His hips bucked roughly, and with a final rough snap of his hips, he tossed his head back as he came harshly inside of Arthur.

"Ahhh, Arthur..." Alfred sighed as he rode out the wave of his orgasm, and finally he collapsed on top of Arthur, completely spent. As they both came back down from their high, Alfred slowly pulled out, turning his attention to the Queen panting below him.

"Arthur..." Ignoring the sticky mess on their torsos, Alfred pressed his body closer to Arthur's. "Arthur are you okay...?"

Arthur's cheeks were flushed and his breathing was slowly returning to its gentle rate. Arthur's eyes focused on Alfred and he smiled. He turned his head and gently kissed Alfred's lips before peppering the side of his face with kisses. Alfred leaned into the contact and sighed happily, knowing that Arthur had enjoyed it. Arthur spoke.

"Did it feel good?"

Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur.

"Fuck, yeah."

Arthur lazily pressed a kiss to the side of Alfred's face.

"Good."

The pair lounged in bed together; tired, but equally content. Arthur gently stroked Arthur's back, and Alfred leaned forward, kissing anywhere that he was able to reach. Alfred could have easily wished for them to lie there forever, but all too soon Arthur slowly sat up, much to Alfred's dismay.

"...Where are you going?"

Arthur looked down at Alfred nonchalantly.

"To wash off."

Alfred was quickly reminded of the mess and nodded, feeling a little disappointed to feel Arthur shift away from him.

"Alright." Alfred said, rolling onto his side.

Arthur looked down at Alfred, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"...Want to assist me?"

Alfred's eyes darted back up at Arthur. Arthur smiled, already knowing he wouldn't need to hear his answer, and as he turned to slip from the bed, Alfred was right behind him.

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"Arthur..."

A high-pitched, familiar tone rang out in Arthur's mind that roused him from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes to the dark inn room around him. He slowly sat up and looked around, gradually growing alert. The room was quiet. The only sounds were from wind blowing against the strong, wooden window panes. Arthur looked down at his side. Alfred was still deep in slumber, burrowed beneath the down comforters. He tossed in his sleep for a moment before settling into a new comfortable position, closer to Arthur's side. He let out a contented sigh and mumbled briefly.

"...rthurrr..."

Arthur smiled bashfully at the idea of his appearing in Alfred's dreams. Just when Arthur was about to lay back down to resume his sleep, the voice came again.

"Arthur..."

Arthur looked around the room completely alert. He knew that voice. But who was it? It was distorted and haunting. But gentle. Loving, even. Arthur quietly slipped from the bed, using extra care not to wake the sleeping King. As expected, Alfred was a relatively heavy sleeper, and did not stir. Arthur looked around the room, seeking the source of the voice.

"Arthur..." The voice seemed to now come from beyond the room. Arthur was hesitant at first, but he felt as though he knew that voice. Arthur quickly dressed, and slowly slipped from the room, silently closing the door behind him. He quickly navigated the darkened hallways of the inn, following the voice. There was something terribly familiar about the voice, and it tugged at a deep part of his heart. He made his way all the way to the front entrance of the inn. Silence. The voice had stopped calling. Just when Arthur was about to turn and return to his room, he heard it clearer than before.

"...Arthur, dear."

That's when he saw her. Arthur burst through the door of the inn into the Spades night air and stared. There was no mistake. There she stood. In the middle of the hushed, empty street in all of her glory. As if time had not touched her at all, she offered a smile towards Arthur as radiant as the first day they had met each other. Arthur's voice refused to come forth from the shock, but soon, his voice finally came forward in a trembling, whispered tone.

"...Grandmother...?"

The previous Queen of Spades nodded, the warm smile growing on her face. She held her hands out towards Arthur. A wave of emotion came over Arthur and he ran to her eagerly, wrapping his arms around her as if he were a child. She let out a gentle laugh as she returned the embrace.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Arthur dear..."

Arthur pulled away to look at her. The gentle creases that formed on her eyes and mouth when she smiled were exactly as he had always remembered them. Arthur let out a short laugh of disbelief, tears welling in the back of his eyes, but never spilling forth.

"What are you...how are you...?"

The previous Queen shook her head sadly.

"Arthur...I am not supposed to be here at all..." Her gentle smile fell a little. "The dead...have no place among the living, my dear...I just needed to see you."

Arthur thought for a while before his mind settled on one single explanation.

"Magic...?"

The Queen offered a sad smile before nodding a little. She offered a hand to Arthur.

"Come. Let us talk."

.

The pair of Queens slowly walked through some of the grassy brush that lay at the edge of town. There were a few scarce wildflowers in bloom and Arthur spoke up.

"This reminds me of the times you used to advise me during walks through the gardens."

"Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday...you were so eager to learn..."

Arthur offered a small smile at the memory before it fell again. He had no idea what sort of magic his deceased grandmother had used, but no doubt it was limited. He turned to her.

"Grandmother...haven't you any more advice to offer me? I feel like...I may never be able to live up to your legacy..."

The elder Queen turned to face Arthur.

"Arthur dear...you mustn't try to become a Queen like me. Build your own legacy, rule Spades as you see fit." The Queen paused and thought for a moment. "...However...if I am to offer you one last piece of advice...do not be fearful to use the power at your disposal...do not be fearful of engaging in war."

Arthur stopped walking. The elder Queen took a few more steps then looked back over her shoulder.

"You...would support me in engaging in war?"

The elder Queen's expression grew stony and serious.

"There are times you must protect what is most important. There are times when war is the only way, Arthur."

Arthur froze. A deep, sinking feeling immediately began growing in the pit of his stomach. The elder Queen looked at Arthur, concern growing on her face.

"Arthur dear...? What's wrong?"

"...Who are you?"

The elder blinked, creases forming on her aged face.

"What...?"

Arthur looked up at the grandmother, a dark and angry expression on his face.

"Who...are you?"

The elder Queen offered a consoling yet hurt expression.

"What ever do you mean, Arthur?"

Arthur's eyes bore into her, his anger heightening.

"I know the previous Queen better than anyone. And she _detested_ bloodshed. She was pacifistic to the core of her soul, and she believed there were _always_ alternatives to war." Arthur took in a shaky, angry breath before calmly speaking. "So who the hell are you?"

The elder Queen's hurt expression slowly fell from her face and offered an apologetic smile. Silence fell among them before the elder spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Queen of Spades."

Instantly, the elder Queen's appearance began to melt away in a melding of color and refracted light. Slowly, a new appearance took form; a young woman with long brown hair clad in a regal, green dress. Pink flowers were woven into the side of her hair, and her eyes were almost as green as Arthur's. She offered a sad, but determined expression before her soft voice came out.

"I did not want to do this..." Slowly, her eyes turned alarmingly cold. "...but orders are orders."

Arthur's eyes widened, and he felt every muscle in his body tense. He had never met her before, but he could immediately identify who she was.

"Queen of Clubs..." Arthur hissed under his breath. How could he have fallen for such a simple plan? He had been blinded by the affection he held for his deceased family and from that, he had been weak. Arthur moved to cast a spell, but found his body was refusing to move. The woman spoke.

"You are on Clubs soil, Arthur."

Arthur's eyes widened in alarm. He glanced back at the town out of the corner of his eye. The town was quite a distance away. He had indeed accidentally crossed the border into Clubs, where all magic and luck is skewed in their favor. He looked back to the Queen of Clubs. The icy resolve did not fall from her face as she spoke.

"...I'm sorry."

Suddenly, the world around Arthur became clouded in dark colors. After-images and illusions swam across Arthur's line of vision. He tried his best to stay aware of his senses, knowing that this was illusionary magic, but despite his best efforts to stay aware of reality, everything grew clouded and dark until he wasn't aware of anything anymore.

Not even himself.

.

.

Alfred blinked awake in the dark room at the inn. He rolled over and squinted through the darkness to look out the window, and found the full moon still high in the sky. He rolled back onto his side and closed his eyes, his hand seeking out Arthur's warmth. He felt around for a moment, then his eyes opened.

"Arthur?"

Alfred slowly became more aware and looked beside him. Arthur was not in the bed. He looked around the room. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. Alfred reached the bedside table and clicked on the lantern to the dimmest setting. In the process, he grabbed his glasses off the small table and slipped them on before scanning the room. All of Arthur's things were still there, and he hadn't left a note or anything. Alfred settled back into the bed and waited, groggily.

 _I'm sure he just went to walk around for a little while. I'll wait for him to come back before I go back to sleep._

And Alfred waited.

And waited.

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Little did he know, he would have to get used to Arthur not being by his side.

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* * *

Author's Notes:

-YAAAY! I made it in time to post this by Christmas! Ten points to Gryffindor! (actually, I'm a Ravenclaw, but that doesn't pack the same punch)

-Sorry for the delay in updating! This chapter was twice as long as normal (over 27,000 words because I have trouble determining when to stop writing ^^; ), so it took a while for me to write and edit this in a timely manner ^^ I hope you'll accept this chapter as a bit of a Christmas present from me to you! :D

-Phew! I looked at so much research to write those vows! (Seriously tempted to recycle them for my own wedding should I ever decide to wed, but of course, I would need a country to rule over)

-I borrowed some inspiration from some of the British royal weddings where the royal couple would be married inside the castle, then kiss on a balcony so that the local peasants can get some fanservice :3

-Helpful Note! The tea Arthur made for Alfred is Chamomile! Chamomile, when brewed in tea, has scientifically been proven to help battle feelings of depression and anxiety. It is by no means a treatment on it's own, but if any of you lovelies are anxious bundles like myself, I recommend adding a cup to your daily regimen ^^

-"Zaffre" is a shade of blue. Just a fun fact from a girl who took way too much color theory ^^

-It appears that time magic has a hefty price tag...

-AAAA I have so little experience writing smut scenes, my apologies \\(*_*)/ I hope you readers found it palatable at least! I really need more practice writing scenes where characters do the do, bear with me ^_^;

-What is going to become of our heroes? And our dear Arthur?

-Thank you so much for reading the Last Spade thus far!

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Are you enjoying this story? If you like it, the best way to tell me is to leave a review! They really do fuel my writing and encourage me to keep going!

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